War of Courage
by TMNTfan1
Summary: The next war has began in the wizarding world, whether they want to admit it or not. Follow Annabelle Black through her last year of school and through the second wizarding war. Sequel to 'Family of Courage'
1. 12 Grimmauld Place

Annabelle's parents didn't tell her much the first couple days she was home for the summer. She tried asking politely, and then demanding answers on what was going to be happening during the summer to try and stop Voldemort, because she knew her parents would be in Dumbledore's inner circle on that front. The fact that Remus wasn't home and they wouldn't tell her why worried her more. She distracted herself by spending most of her time with Buckbeak in his pen out behind the house.

Finally, on her third day home, her parents sat her down at the kitchen table. Anna sat on one side, her parents across from her, all of them with cups of tea.

"So, you're finally going to tell me what's going on?" Anna asked, glancing between them.

"Yes, we are." Sirius answered, nodding his head once. He seemed unsure what to say next, glancing over at his wife.

"Why don't you start by telling her about the Order?" Wren suggested gently, reaching over and holding his hand.

"Right." Sirius sighed and turned back to his daughter. "Well, during the war over thirteen years ago, Dumbledore started what he called the Order of the Phoenix. It's basically an organization to fight Voldemort. Me and the other Marauders were in it, Lily, Hagrid, the Prewetts, the Longbottoms, your mum was kind of in it."

Wren rolled her eyes. "You had just been born, so your father wouldn't let me be an official member, even though I went to nearly all the meetings." she told Anna.

"Can you blame me?" Sirius asked rhetorically. "Anyway,-"

"Wait. Is that how you knew Hagrid? When I first met him my first year, he said he spent a lot of time with you all during the war." Anna cut in quickly.

"Yep, we were all around each other a lot during that time." Wren nodded with a small smile. "He loved playing with you and the other kids."

"Other kids? Wait, is that also how you knew Molly and Arthur?" Anna asked eagerly, leaning forward on her elbows. She was happy she was finally finding out more about how her parents knew all these people.

Wren chuckled. "Well, yes, but they weren't in the Order back then. I met Molly through Fabian and Gideon Prewett, her brothers. And she sometimes offered to baby-sit you with some of the other Order kids during meetings and missions."

"Anyway, can I continue?" Sirius asked with a light chuckle.

"Oh, right, sorry." Anna clamped her mouth shut and waited for her father to continue.

"Anyway, with Voldemort being back, Dumbledore decided we needed to restart the Order as soon as possible, and inform all the old members, and then some, of what's really happening. Merlin knows Fudge won't do it." Sirius explained, the last sentence being more of a mutter as he rolled his eyes. "So that's where I went the night of the third task. Dumbledore wanted me to contact as many former Order members as I could. I came straight here first to tell Remus. Then we split up to try and get to as many people as we could. Remus volunteered to look for as many people as possible, the full moon got in the way a little bit, but he insisted that I stay here to look after Wren and you, as well as keep in touch with Harry. I wrote to a few people, he's out there now getting in touch with some people, that's where he's been."

Anna nodded, slightly relieved to at least have an idea where Remus was. She'd come to see him as an uncle or second father figure.

"Okay…" she said, wondering if there was anything else that she needed to know.

"Do you want me to tell her the other part?" Wren asked her husband quietly, one hand resting on his back and her other hand on his hand.

Sirius gave her a tight-lipped smile. "No, Love, that's fine. I can tell her." Wren nodded and Sirius turned back to his daughter.

"Dumbledore needed a safe place to have a headquarters. Apparently my dear old mother passed away a few years back, and I was left the family house. I had no interest in even stepping foot in that hell hole again, never thought I'd have to. But if I have to do something with it, I might as well do something that would make my mother turn in her grave. So, I offered it up for the Order's headquarters."

Anna nodded slowly. "That's good." she said uncertainly. She didn't know much about her father's childhood home, but she knew that he'd hated his childhood.

Sirius nodded slowly as well. "Yes, well…unfortunately there's a downside to it. Some people are going to be practically living there. So, just to make sure there's someone there at all times…I'm probably going to have to spend a lot of time there, myself."

"Who all's going to be there a lot?" Anna asked curiously, wondering if it would be anyone she knew.

"Well, I believe the Weasleys are going to actually be staying there for most of the summer, as well as Hermione Granger." Sirius listed. "Remus will probably be there occasionally, as well as several other Order members popping in."

"Are me and Mum going to be staying there, too?"

Wren opened her mouth, only for Sirius to cut across her. "I'm not letting your mother stay there very often. She'll probably be popping in once in a while, but she's not staying any nights or anything. She's heavily pregnant, she's supposed to be careful Flooing and she's not allowed to Apparate, and there will most likely be a lot of cursed objects lying around. I won't risk her or the baby getting hurt."

Wren rolled her eyes, looking annoyed but ultimately accepting as she rested a protective hand on her large baby bump.

"So,…what about me?" Anna asked.

Sirius sighed. "If you want to stay there, I suppose that's your choice. I don't see why you would, but…If you stay there, I'll probably stay, as well, most nights."

Anna chewed her lip. "Well,…if some of my friends are going to be staying there, I'd like to stay there with them." she admitted quietly, already figuring Fred and George would be spending as much time as possible either working on new products or trying to eavesdrop on Order meetings.

Sirius grimaced slightly. "And I suppose by 'friends' you mean 'boyfriend'?"

"What?" Anna straightened slightly in surprise. "Oh! That, right. Um, no I actually _wasn't_ talking about just Fred. Fred and George are both my best friends, and Hermione and Ginny are my friends."

"Okay. Sure." Sirius nodded slightly. "Well, it's your choice. I suppose if you get sick of being there and want to come home, you can do that if you want. Is there anything else you want to know?"

Anna hummed as she thought for a moment. "When are we going?"

"I'm going to start staying over there tomorrow. If you want to wait a couple days, that's your choice."

"When is everyone else going to move in there?" Anna asked, silently debating if she should wait until the other kids arrived or get there as early as possible to try and find out some secret Order information.

"I think Molly mentioned arriving in a couple days, and Hermione would be with them." her mother answered, glancing at Sirius before looking back at Anna.

Well, one day before the others wouldn't be too horrible. "I guess I could go tomorrow with you, if that's okay, Dad."

XXX

12 Grimmauld Place was as rank and creepy as her father had warned her. The walls and floorboards almost seemed to _ooze_ darkness and evil. Luckily, she wasn't alone in the house. The day her father brought her, he gave her a tour, continuously warning her not to touch anything in case it was cursed. He also introduced her to some of the Order members that came and went, such as Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dedalus Diggle, and Mundungus Fletcher.

After spending a night in the creaking, eerie house, Anna was almost tempted to change her mind and go back to staying at home with her mum. But she repeatedly reminded herself that the others would be joining her that day, and chances were Hermione and Ginny would be sharing a room with her.

Heading down for breakfast, Anna entered the kitchen and jerked to a stop, her eyes going wide in shock at the person she saw standing there.

"Dora!" she shrieked, bolting forward and slamming into her blue-haired cousin, her arms wrapping around her neck. Tonks laughed and hugged her back tightly.

"Wotcher, cuz."

"What are you doing here?" Anna demanded, pulling back and staring up at her excitedly.

"I'm a member of the Order, obviously." she said with a grin.

Anna turned and gaped at Remus, who was making something at the stove and smirking over at them. He had arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place the evening before, after dinner. "Why didn't anyone tell me Tonks was in the Order?!" she demanded.

"Oops. Guess it slipped our minds." Remus joked, winking at her. Anna scowled, but couldn't stop herself from grinning and hugging Tonks again.

Remus made them breakfast and they all sat down and caught up on everything that had been going on. After the food was gone and the dishes were washing themselves in the sink, there was a knock on the front door above.

Already having an idea who it was, Anna bolted up from her chair and raced up the narrow staircase. Her dad beat her to the door, looking as if he'd just come down from somewhere upstairs. He opened the front door, and a mass of ginger hair was the first thing Anna caught a glimpse of as Arthur Weasley lead his family inside.

Ginny was the first one in behind her dad, and she instantly placed her trunk aside and hurried to give Anna a hug. They pulled away and moved back to allow more room for the other Weasleys to enter the house and close the front door behind them.

There was a loud clatter behind Anna and multiple things happened within the span of a second. Everyone looked back to see that Tonks had tripped over the troll-leg umbrella stand, knocking it over and making a loud racket. The noise caused the velvet curtains on the wall next to Anna to fly open, revealing a portrait of an old woman with gray hair and a black cap.

 _"Filth! Bloodtraitors! Scum of the earth, defiling the house of my fathers!"_ she shrieked. Anna, along with nearly all the Weasleys, clapped her hands over her ears, looking at the portrait in bewilderment. Her father had warned her that it was his mother's portrait, and to be quiet around it. But she hadn't experienced why until this moment.

Sirius and Remus rushed forward, struggling to yank the velvet, moth-eaten curtains back over the portrait of Walburga Black. After a few moments of struggling, they managed to pull the curtains shut and silence the horrid portrait.

"Sorry about that." Sirius panted to the Weasley family. "My mother. Haven't gotten around to getting rid of that blasted painting yet."

"Not to worry, Sirius." Arthur assured him with a smile.

"So, that's your grandmother?" a familiar voice teased over Anna's shoulder. She spun around and grinned up at George, Fred smiling over his twin's shoulder.

"She doesn't seem like the type to bake her grandkids cookies." Fred added as George pulled Anna into a hug.

Anna laughed. "No. If she did, she'd probably poison them." she joked as she pulled away from George, who stepped aside so she could hug Fred. He pulled her into a tight hug, his arms wrapped around her lower back and lifting her onto her tiptoes. He leaned his head down and, under the pretense of hiding his face in the crook of her neck, placed a kiss on her cheek near her ear.

"Miss me?" he whispered playfully.

"A little." she whispered back before pulling away. They glanced around to see that nearly everyone in the long hallway was staring at them. Anna blushed and put her hands behind her back.

"Oh, Anna, sweetie, it's nice to see you again." Molly suddenly burst out, stepping around her sons and pulling Anna into a rib-cracking hug. Anna started in surprise, but hugged the woman back instinctively. She was even more bewildered when she felt Molly shake and a couple tears hit her shoulder.

Arthur looked at his wife sadly, gently taking her shoulders. "Come, now, Molly. Sirius is going to give us a brief tour so we can decide who's sleeping where."

Molly nodded, sniffling as she pulled away, wiping under her eyes and cheeks.

Sirius and Remus lead the way down the hall to the staircase that lead to the upper floors.

"What was that about?" Anna asked quietly as Hermione stepped forward to give her a brief hug.

"We'll tell you later." George whispered, picking up his trunk. "Whatever you do, don't mention Percy."

Anna swallowed thickly, not liking the sound of that.

"Ahem." Anna looked over her shoulder to see Tonks smirking at her. "Am I going to have to introduce myself?" she teased.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Guys, this is my cousin, Tonks. You two might vaguely remember her. She was in Charlie's year." she added to the twins. "Tonks, this is Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny."

"Nice to meet you all." Tonks greeted them, shaking everyone's hands in turn. "And I've been told by a number of sources about you dating my little cousin." she added with a devious smirk in Fred's direction.

"Dora." Anna warned.

"What?" Tonks laughed. "I've heard about it from McGonagall, Sirius, Wren, Remus, _and_ Charlie. That's a lot of people to hear it from."

Anna rolled her eyes and sighed.

"You kids coming up? We need to decide rooms." Remus told them from the bottom of the stairs. The kids all nodded and followed him up the steps.

"Ugh!" Ron jerked back when he saw all the house-elf heads mounted on plaques on the wall. "What the bleeding hell?" he hissed, looking back to where Anna was a few steps below him.

"Those are all the house-elves that have served in this house." she explained quietly, carefully avoiding looking at the heads. "I guess they considered it an honor."

Hermione grimaced in repulsion.

Sirius, Arthur, and Molly were waiting on the first landing. When everyone else joined them, Sirius gestured around him. "There's one bedroom up here, which Anna claimed. We figured the three girls could share that one. It wouldn't be hard to put in an extra bed. There's also a bathroom and a drawing room."

Molly peaked into the bedroom, which had two beds at the moment. "There should be enough room for the three girls. Ginny, Hermione, why don't you put your trunks in there?"

The two younger girls dragged their trunks into the room, placing them on the ground just inside before everyone continued up to the next floor. Ron was put in the bedroom on this floor, and he would be sharing with Harry when they eventually got him from his aunt and uncle's.

The next floor up was filled with bedrooms. Molly and Arthur got one, Fred and George were put in another, and there was also the master bedroom that was left empty.

"The top floor only has two bedrooms. Mine and my brother's." Sirius explained when they all returned to the landing. "That's pretty much everything up here. We can head downstairs, if you want. The dining room is on the ground floor, and the kitchen is the floor below that.."

"Well, I'd like to have a look around some more. Heaven knows this place needs a good cleaning." Molly stated, earning groans from all her children. "But why don't you all start unpacking your things?" she suggested to the kids.

They didn't need to be told twice. All the kids hurried back down the stairs to their own bedrooms. Fred grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her into the room him and George were sharing.

"Okay." Anna started, plopping down on one of the beds and causing a cloud of dust to rise around her. "Tell me what's going on with Percy."

XXX

On one hand, the following weeks were very uneventful, but on the other hand, everyone was kept busy. Anna, Ron, Hermione, and Sirius all wrote to Harry as often as possible, but they weren't allowed to actually tell him anything, under Dumbledore's orders. Anna felt horrible, because she knew Harry was going crazy not knowing what was going on the wizarding world, but every time he asked, she could only tell him to wait until they picked him up, which no one knew when that would be.

Molly kept all the kids busy during most of the days, cleaning the whole house from top to bottom.

"I still think the whole 'Ear' thing is a bit much." Anna stated, rolling onto her stomach on George's bed and looking down at the twins. They were sitting cross-legged on the floor, their latest invention, an Extendable Ear, between them. It was an eavesdropping device that was just a long, flesh-colored string. They'd put one end in their ear and put the other wherever they were trying to eavesdrop. "Why don't we just go with my idea? It'd be quicker, easier, and mostly undetectable."

"Because it's so unoriginal." George pointed out.

"Yeah, I mean, a bug? Someone'd probably squash it." Fred pointed out.

Anna sighed, dropping her chin onto her folded arms. Her idea had been a beetle-looking device that would connect to some kind of ear bud or microphone so you could hear the conversation in whatever room the bug was in. She'd got the idea when Hermione told her about Rita Skeeter being an unregistered beetle Animagus.

There was a knock on the door and Fred instantly shoved the Extendable Ear under the bed as the door creaked open.

Sirius looked between the three for a moment. "What are you guys up to?" he asked casually, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe.

"Nothing." they all answered just as casually.

"Just talking, mostly." Anna added, not completely lying. They _had_ been talking.

Sirius smirked deviously. "I somehow doubt that. But I'm not Molly, so I won't nag." Fred and George smirked in return while Anna rolled her eyes. "Anyway, dinner will be ready soon, and your mother's here." he added the last part to Anna, who nodded.

Her dad didn't like her mum being here too much, worried she'd get hurt or cursed by something and hurt the baby. But Anna sensed it was putting a slight strain on her parents' relationship. Wren came as often as Sirius would allow, which was about five times a week, and it was usually only for dinner and a few hours after. However, even though he hated being in his childhood house, Sirius refused to sleep at home with his pregnant wife. He'd never said out loud, but Anna suspected it was because of her. Her father didn't want to leave her in 12 Grimmauld Place unattended. And it wasn't because he was worried about her safety, at least not entirely.

It was because her boyfriend was in the same house. She could tell he liked Fred and George, they probably reminded him of what he and the Marauders were like in school. But Anna noticed he'd always look in on them. If she was with both the twins, or if anyone was in the room with them, he was fine. But if Anna and Fred were miraculously in a room alone, he'd make up an excuse to stick around so they weren't alone. Anna sort of understood why he wouldn't want them in a room alone, but it was getting ridiculous. She couldn't just have a minute alone to talk with her boyfriend, and it was driving her nuts.

Anna was brought out of her thoughts by Fred grabbing her hand and suddenly she felt a familiar pulling in her navel. She stumbled when her feet were suddenly under her again and she was standing in the dining room.

"A little warning next time, please." she snapped, smacking his arm while he and George laughed. They'd been Apparating everywhere since they got their licenses.

Molly, Wren, Hermione, and Ginny were setting the table for dinner and Anna instantly moved around the long dining room table toward her mum. She waited for Wren to set the roast she was holding on the table before giving her a hug, careful of her large baby bump.

"Hi, sweetie. How's your day been so far?" Wren asked, brushing Anna's hair from her face before they separated and Anna helped set the table.

"Pretty good. We cleaned the bathrooms today and Molly let us have a break for most of the afternoon." she answered.

"Sounds like fun." Wren said with a smirk.

"Oh yes, the most fun I've had all summer." Anna remarked sarcastically.

After setting the table, they all sat down to eat, several Order members joining them for dinner. Conversation blended as it always did across the table. Tonks and Wren talked about getting together for lunch some time with Andromeda, Tonks' mum. Fred and George were talking with Mundungus Fletcher about some of his past jobs. Molly was talking with Remus. Sirius, Arthur, and Bill were discussing where Bill worked at Gringotts. He'd applied for a desk job in England as opposed to Egypt so he could help out with the Order. One of the things that really ticked off Anna, Fred, and George, was that they were of age, but weren't allowed to join the Order, but Bill and Tonks were allowed.

Anna was talking to Hermione and Ginny across the table. When she looked away to get an extra serving of potatoes, she noticed her dad glancing between her and Fred, who she had to reach across to grab the bowl of potatoes. She refrained from rolling her eyes. Honestly, they were at the dinner table surrounded by their friends, family, and near-strangers! What-did he expect them to snog?

Anna sighed heavily. If her dad continued acting this way, she just might snap sometime soon.

"You okay?" Fred asked, looking over at her with a concerned look.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

XXX

Sirius marched into the drawing room on August 2nd and, for once, didn't check that Anna and Fred were surrounded by people. Even if he did, they were surrounded by George, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, so he couldn't complain.

"I need to use someone's owl. Anna, where's Ariel?" he demanded urgently.

"She's in my room, why?" Anna asked worriedly.

"It's Harry. I just got word from Arthur that Harry's facing a hearing and possible expulsion from Hogwarts."

"What?!" several voices shouted at once, Ron and Hermione going so far as to stand up and stare at Sirius in shock.

"For what?" George asked in complete bewilderment.

"Apparently, he used the Patronus Charm in front of a Muggle. I need to get a message to him." Sirius explained, waving a letter around.

"I'll go get Ariel, if you want." Ginny offered, already heading for the door.

"Thanks, Gin." Anna said with a nod. "Can I read the letter you're sending?" she asked her dad curiously. He handed it to her and she skimmed the short message.

' _Arthur's just told us what's happened._

 _Don't leave the house again, whatever you do.'_

"Think he'll listen?" she asked her dad, letting the twins read the note over her shoulder.

"I hope so. He'll just get into more trouble if he tries to run off." Sirius sighed, running a hand through his shaggy hair. Ginny arrived then with Anna's Barn Owl, Ariel, parched on her forearm.

Sirius tied the message to the owl's leg, giving her instructions to get the letter to Harry as quick as possible. Ariel flapped over onto Anna's shoulder, affectionately nibbling her ear, before flying out the window.

XXX

Ariel had returned the next morning empty-handed, or empty-clawed, but Hedwig arrived only about an hour after her.

Anna had been stretched out on George's bed, Fred sitting up in his a couple feet away. George had gone to take a quick shower.

"Have you figured out how to make the nosebleed sweets yet?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, we think we've come up with a couple ideas, but we need to complete the antidote first. And we were thinking of putting it in a nougat. You know, Nosebleed Nougat. Sound good?" he asked, looking over at her.

Anna smiled. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Just let me look over the formula for the antidote before you start making it. I'd like to make sure it looks good."

Fred smirked over at her. "You doubt our potion skills?" he teased.

"Not at all." Anna told him honestly, scooting back to sit up. "I just think having three of us looking it over is safer than just the two of you. I'm your guys' partner, too, right?"

"Of course." Fred grinned. He stood up and moved the short distance to sit on the edge of George's bed, facing her. His eyes were soft as he looked over at her, his hand gently taking hers. "I really appreciate you, you know. You've always supported me and George, even when everyone else was telling us how stupid we are for wanting to open a joke shop."

"Yeah, but I also know you, remember?" she pointed out quietly, tilting her head slightly as she looked up at him. "I know you guys are smarter than you let on, and I know you're passionate about this joke shop. There's no way you'll fail. A few years from now, you two will probably be running the world's most popular joke shop, making millions of Galleons easily."

"And you'll be right there with us." Fred told her with a grin, squeezing her hand. "Either as a third partner, or the handsome owner's beautiful girlfriend that everyone is jealous of."

Anna rolled her eyes, but she was unable to wipe the smile from her face. "Shut up."

"Just being honest, here, love." Fred joked, holding his hands up briefly in defense.

"Well, thank you."

Fred smiled at her for a moment before leaning forward and briefly kissing her, pulling away a few inches and looking her in the eyes.

Anna smiled in return.

"When was the last time we properly kissed?" Fred asked casually.

"Hm. Not sure. Depends on your definition of 'properly'." Anna answered. "We kissed last week." she pointed out.

"That doesn't count." Fred told her as if she should've known that. "No one was watching, so I swept down and planted one on you. That's hardly a 'proper' kiss."

"Okay, so when was our last 'proper' kiss?" Anna asked playfully.

Fred looked to the side thoughtfully for a moment before looking back at her. "When we said goodbye on the platform was probably the closest we've had for a while." he finally admitted.

"Hm. Then, I'd say we are overdue for a proper kiss." Anna commented casually.

Fred smirked. "That's exactly what I was thinking." With that, he leaned in again and pressed his lips softly to hers. Anna couldn't help smiling into the kiss, tilting her head slightly for a better angle. Fred rested one hand on the bed next to her hip so he could lean closer, his other hand coming up to cup the side of her head with her ear between his thumb and forefinger. His fingers curled around the back of her head and neck, threading through her hair and scratching at her scalp.

Anna shivered and hesitantly lifted her hands, resting them both on the sides of Fred's neck, her thumbs brushing his jaw line. Fred grinned against her lips, tilting his head to the other side. His tongue swept across her lip and her fingers instinctively flexed in his hair, digging her nails into the back of his neck. Fred groaned and leaned closer, pressing his lips more firmly to hers.

The door creaked and they both lurched away from each other, Anna smacking into the headboard.

George smirked at them as he walked in, rubbing a towel over his wet hair. "Don't mind me. Just returning from my shower. Though, I suppose you're lucky it's me and not Sirius." he added jokingly.

Anna rolled her eyes, trying to ignore her bright red face. She ran both her hands through her hair to try and smooth it out a bit, glancing over at Fred. His cheeks and ears were pink, but Anna wasn't sure if it was due to embarrassment or lack of air. His nostrils were flaring slightly with every breath.

"Shut up, George." Fred told his twin simply.

"So, does anyone know what the plan is for today?" Anna asked curiously, trying to change the subject.

"Probably cleaning the kitchen or dining room." George sighed in defeat.

"Think your dad'll get more news about Harry?" she asked.

"That's hard to say. If anyone's going to get news, it'll be either Dad or Dumbledore." Fred commented.

"Well, we haven't heard anything yet." Anna looked up when she heard her dad's voice in the doorway. She mentally breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't walked in a few minutes earlier. Sirius was standing in the bedroom doorway, his eyes glancing suspiciously at the small space between Anna and Fred.

"Dumbledore won't let Harry get expelled, will he?" George asked as he plopped down on his bed between Anna and Fred. "I mean, Harry would've had a good reason for using a Patronus. Knowing him and his luck, it was probably self-defense."

"Yeah, I reckon you're right. We just-"

They were interrupted by a light tapping on the window behind them. Looking over, they all instantly recognized the beautiful Snowy Owl.

"Hedwig!" Anna leapt off George's bed and hurried over to the window, throwing it open so the owl could fly inside. She instantly flew across the room and landed on Sirius's shoulder, holding out her leg that had three letters attached.

Sirius looked at the letters before untying one. "The other two are for Ron and Hermione." As soon as he untied his letter, Hedwig gave his ear a sharp nip and flew out of the room. "Ow!" Sirius yelled, rubbing his ear. "What's her problem?"

"Well, I've noticed she really cares about Harry. He's probably upset that we're all leaving him out of the loop and she's reflecting that." Anna pointed out, sitting back down.

Sirius was looking down at his letter, a worried frown covering his expression.

"What's it say? Is he running away or something?" Fred asked.

"It says, ' _I've just been attacked by dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here.'_ "

"Dementors?!" Anna exclaimed in horror. "Why would one attack him all the way in Little Whinging? Why would it even be down there?"

"I don't know." Sirius muttered, looking very worried. "I'm going to go tell the others. We'll need to get him out of there before he does something drastic."

Anna, Fred, and George all nodded seriously as he turned and left the room.

 **XXX**

 **And there's chapter 1 of War of Courage. Let me know what you're all thinking so far.**


	2. Tension

The next couple days were both busy and mildly tense. The Order was almost split on whether it was time to bring Harry to the headquarters for the rest of summer. It wasn't that some people didn't want Harry around, it was that Dumbledore wanted Harry to stay with his aunt and uncle for some reason.

Hedwig was in a right mood since she arrived. Annabelle suspected she wanted to take a response back to Harry, but no one was writing one. If they tried writing him a short note, she'd nip at them and refuse to take it. A few people, namely Ron, Hermione, and Sirius, had bloody cuts and marks on their hands and fingers from Hedwig's beak.

Finally, about four days after Harry's letter, several people left to go pick Harry up. Anna personally thought they didn't need as many people as were going, but a lot of people wanted to get him. Finally, it was narrowed down to Moody, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore, and Hestia Jones.

"So, how long do you think it'll be before they get back?" Anna asked, plopping down on her back on Fred's bed.

"With Moody leading, they may not be back till midnight." George joked, sitting on the bed next to her.

"Don't joke. That could very well be true." Anna told him, even though she was joking, too. Of course, knowing Moody and his "constant vigilance!" lectures, he may make the group turn back five times to make sure no one's following them.

Fred sighed, sitting on George's bed across from them. "Wish I was out there. Flying. I'm going stir-crazy in here."

Anna smiled sympathetically. "As if your mum would've let you go."

Fred grimaced and nodded, grudgingly admitting she was right. "Still. We haven't been on our brooms since…our birthday! That's-what-four months?" he whined.

"Don't remind me." George grumbled.

The door creaked and they all looked up in time to see a familiar, hunchbacked house-elf in a loincloth shuffle into the room. He was gazing around blankly, as if not really taking in his surroundings.

"Bloodtraitors, werewolves, and filthy half-bloods. All rushing off to bring the Potter boy into my Mistress's home. Oh, how my beloved mistress would despise what has become of our home…" he was grumbling.

"Hi Kreacher." Anna said quietly before the twins could make a rude remark.

Kreacher made a very fake start and turned to look up at them. "Kreacher did not see the young Masters and Mistress." he told them, bowing so his long nose nearly touched the carpet. "Filthy little beasts. The girl isn't fit to be called a Black. Child of traitorous scum-"

"What was that?" Fred asked loudly, standing up and glaring down at the house-elf.

"Kreacher said nothing, young Master. Kreacher is cleaning." the elf said evasively.

"Well, there's nothing in here for you to clean." George told him sharply. "Go into another room."

"Of course, Young Master. Kreacher lives to serve the House of Black." the elf muttered, bowing low and backing out of the room again. Fred walked to the door and shut it with a loud click.

"You guys need to go easy on him." Anna told them quietly. "He can't help it. He's been here alone for a long time."

"That doesn't mean I'm going to sit by and let him say those things to you." Fred told her sharply as he sat down next to her this time, so she was sandwiched between the twins.

Anna just sighed, knowing there was no talking him or George out of their mindset. So, she just leaned her head on Fred's shoulder.

They worked on their Skiving Snackboxes for a couple hours, trying to figure out what to do about the Puking Pastilles. The puking end of the chews were working perfectly, but they were having trouble getting the antidote end down without puking it back up.

Fred made a note on a piece of parchment. Anna turned her head toward the closed door, having heard something. She focused for a moment and heard lots of voices downstairs, as well as the sound of the front door opening and closing.

"I think the meeting's going to start soon." she told the twins, turning back to them.

Fred and George exchanged a smirk before George pulled a few Extendable Ears out from under his bed.

"Well, let's see what we can hear." he suggested with a smirk.

They all stood up and crept quietly out of the room and onto the landing. They looked down over the railing, seeing the many flights of stairs spiraling down the walls and landings to the main floor below. George slowly lowered his Ear a few floors before sticking his end into his ear. Fred and Anna did the same.

There was a slight crackling like static for a few moments. Slowly, Anna picked up the muffled sound of several voices, all seemingly coming from a few different places. Then, suddenly all those voices were drowned out by one, loud, screaming voice.

Anna flinched and yanked the Extendable Ear from her own ear. Fred and George did the same, rubbing their sore ears.

"Was it just me, or did that sound like Harry?" Anna asked, looking between them.

"Yep." they said together. Fred grabbed Anna's hand and, with a familiar tug in her navel, Anna and the twins appeared with a loud _CRACK_ in Ron's room. Hermione screamed a bit in shock, and Ron's owl Pigwidgeon zoomed up to join Hedwig on top of the wardrobe.

"Stop _doing_ that!" Hermione told them weakly.

"Don't look at me. I was held hostage." Anna told her, lifting the hand that Fred was still holding.

"Hello Harry." George beamed at the younger boy, who still looked mildly angry. "We thought we heard your dulcet tones."

"You don't want to bottle up your anger like that, Harry, let it all out." Fred suggested, also beaming. "There might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn't hear you."

"You three passed your Apparation tests, then?" Harry asked grumpily.

"With distinction." Fred announced proudly.

"It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer to walk down the stairs." Ron told them.

"Time is Galleons, little brother." Fred told him. "Anyway, Harry, you're interfering with reception. Extendable Ears," he added in response to Harry's raised eyebrows, holding up the fleshy string. "We're trying to hear what's going on downstairs."

"You want to be careful." Ron warned them, staring at the ear. "If Mum sees one of them again…"

Anna winced at the reminder while Fred commented casually, "It's worth the risk, that's a major meeting they're having."

The door opened and a head of long, red hair came into view.

"Oh hello, Harry!" Ginny grinned brightly at him. "I thought I heard your voice." Turning to her twin brothers, she added, "It's no go with the Extendable Ears, she's gone and put an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door."

"How d'you know?" George asked, looking crestfallen.

"Tonks told me how to find out." Ginny told them, making Anna grin. Tonks had become very good friends with the other two girls, as well as most of the other kids. "You just chuck stuff at the door and if it can't make contact the door's been Imperturbed. I've been flicking Dungbombs at it from the top of the stairs and they just soar away from it, so there's no way the Extendable Ears will be able to get under the gap."

Fred heaved a deep sigh. "Shame. I really fancied finding out what old Snape's been up to."

"Snape?" Harry asked quickly. "Is he here?"

"Yeah." George answered, closing the door and sitting down on one of the beds. Anna, Fred, and Ginny followed suit. "Giving a report. Top secret."

"Git." Fred added casually.

"He's on our side now." Hermione defended disapprovingly.

Ron snorted. "Doesn't stop him being a git. The way he looks as us when he sees us…"

"Bill doesn't like him either." Ginny pointed out, as if that settled it. Anna grinned next to the youngest Weasley.

Harry sat down on the bed across from them. "Is Bill here? I thought he was working in Egypt."

"He applied for a desk job so he could come home and work for the Order." Fred explained. "He says he misses the tombs, but," he smirked, "there are compensations…"

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked curiously.

"Remember old Fleur Delacour?" George asked. "She's got a job at Gringotts to _eemprove 'er' Eeenglish_ -"

"-and Bill's been giving her a lot of private lessons." Fred sniggered, making Anna elbow him in the ribs even though she was smirking, too.

"Charlie's in the Order, too," Anna added, "but he's still in Romania. Dumbledore wants as many foreign wizards brought in as possible, so Charlie's trying to make contacts on his days off."

"Couldn't Percy do that?" Harry asked.

Anna winced and glanced at the others, who were exchanging dark looks.

"Whatever you do, don't mention Percy in front of Mum and Dad." Ron advised Harry in a tense voice.

"Why not?"

"Because every time Percy's name's mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding and Mum starts crying." Fred answered darkly.

"It's been awful." Ginny said sadly. Anna wrapped her arm around Ginny's shoulders and took Fred's hand in hers.

"I think we're well shut of him." added George with an ugly look that didn't look right on his normally-smiling face.

"What's happened?" Harry asked.

"Percy and Dad had a row." Fred explained. "I've never seen Dad row with anyone like that. It's normally Mum who shouts…"

"It was the first week back after term ended." Ron added. "We were about to come and join the Order. Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted."

"You're kidding?" Harry cut in.

It made sense to be surprised. After all, Percy had faced some criticism by not noticing that something was wrong with his boss, Mr. Crouch.

"Yeah, we were all surprised," George agreed, "because Percy got into a load of trouble about Crouch, there was an inquiry and everything. They said Percy ought to have realized Crouch was off his rocker and informed a superior. But you know Percy. Crouch left him in charge, he wasn't going to complain…"

"So how come they promoted him?" Harry asked.

"That's exactly what we wondered." Ron agreed, looking relieved that Harry wasn't yelling anymore. "He came home really pleased with himself-even more pleased than usual if you can imagine that-and told Dad he'd been offered a position in Fudge's own office. A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts-Junior Assistant to the Minister. He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think."

"Only Dad wasn't." Fred added grimly. Anna squeezed his hand, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand. They'd had a few discussions about Percy since him and George told her about it at the beginning of the summer, and Anna could tell that under all the anger and resentment, Fred and George were both deeply hurt by what Percy had done.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Well, apparently Fudge has been storming round the Ministry checking that nobody's having any contact with Dumbledore." George answered.

"Dumbledore's name's mud with the Ministry these days, see." Fred added. "They all think he's just making trouble saying You-Know-Who's back."

"Dad says Fudge has made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks." George said.

"Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad, and Wren. He knows they're both friendly with Dumbledore and you, and he's always thought Dad was a bit of a weirdo because of his Muggle obsession-"

"But what's this got to do with Percy?" Harry interrupted, looking confused.

"I'm coming to that. Dad reckons Fudge only wants Percy in his office because he wants to use him to spy on the family-and Dumbledore."

Harry let out a low whistle.

"Bet Percy loved that."

Ron let out a hollow laugh.

"He went completely berserk. He said-well, he said loads of terrible stuff. He said he's been having to struggle against Dad's lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad's got no ambition and that's why we've always been-you know-not had a lot of money, I mean-"

" _What_?" Harry nearly shouted in shock, while Ginny made a noise similar to an angry cat.

"I know." Ron agreed in a low voice. "And it got worse. He said Dad was an idiot to run around with Dumbledore, that Dumbledore was heading for big trouble and Dad was going to go down with him, and that he-Percy-knew were his loyalty lay and it was with the Ministry. And if Mum and Dad were going to become traitors to the Ministry he was going to make sure everyone knew he didn't belong to our family anymore. And he packed his bags the same night and left. He's living here in London now."

Harry cursed under his breath and Fred's hand accidentally tightened around Anna's fingers. She leaned up and kissed his cheek before leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Mum's been in a right state." Ron continued dully. "You know-crying and stuff. She came up to London to try and talk to Percy but he slammed the door in her face. I dunno what he does if he meets Dad at work-ignores him, I s'pose."

"But Percy _must_ know Voldemort's back." Harry argued slowly. "He's not stupid, he must know your mum and dad wouldn't risk everything without proof-"

"Yeah, well, your name got dragged into the row." Ron cut in, shooting Harry a cautious look. "Percy said the only evidence was your word and…I dunno…he didn't think it was good enough."

Fred suddenly released Anna's hand and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to his side so he could kiss the top of her head. Anna knew he was probably tense because Percy had apparently dragged her name into it, as well. Everyone refused to give her any details, all Fred would tell her was that Percy said things about her that pissed most of the family off. She didn't really care to know what he said. His opinion didn't matter to her.

No one else noticed Fred's movement, the conversation continuing around them.

"Percy takes the _Daily Prophet_ seriously." Hermione added tartly, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, looking at them all with confusion. Anna tensed as they looked warily back at him.

"Haven't-haven't you been getting the _Daily Prophet_?" Anna asked him nervously.

"Yeah, I have!"

"Have you-er-been reading it thoroughly?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"Not cover to cover." Harry answered defensively. "If they were going to report anything about Voldemort it would be headline news, wouldn't it?"

All the Weasleys flinched at the name, and Hermione hurried on, "Well, you'd need to read it cover to cover to pick it up, but they-um-they mention you a couple times a week."

"But I'd have seen-"

"Not if you've only been reading the front page, you wouldn't." Hermione shook her head. "I'm not talking about big articles. They just slip you in, like you're a standing joke."

"What d'you-?"

"It's quite nasty actually." Hermione continued in a forced calm voice. "They're just building on Rita's stuff."

"But she's not writing for them anymore, is she?"

"Oh no, she kept her promise-not that she's got any choice." Hermione added almost smugly. "But she laid the foundation for what they're trying to do now."

"Which is _what_?" Harry demanded impatiently.

"Okay, you know she wrote that you were collapsing all over the place and saying your scar was hurting and all that?"

"Yeah."

"Well, they're writing about you as though you're this deluded, attention-seeking person who thinks he's a great tragic hero or something." Hermione explained very quickly, as if she were ripping off a band aid. "They keep slipping in snide comments about you. If some far-fetched story appears they say something like 'a tale worthy of Harry Potter' and if anyone has a funny accident or anything it's 'let's hope he hasn't got a scar on his forehead or we'll be asked to worship him next-'"

"I don't want anyone to worship-" Harry started hotly.

"I know you don't." Hermione said hurriedly, looking frightened. "I _know_ , Harry. But don't you see what they're doing? They want to turn you into someone nobody will believe. Fudge is behind it, I'll bet anything. They want wizards on the street to think you're just some stupid boy who's a bit of a joke, who tells ridiculous tall stories because he loves being famous and wants to keep it going."

"I didn't ask-I didn't want- _Voldemort killed my parents_!" Harry stuttered. "I got famous because he murdered my family but couldn't kill me! Who wants to be famous for that? Don't they think I'd rather it'd never-"

"We _know_ , Harry." Ginny assured him earnestly.

"And of course, they didn't report a word about the dementors attacking you." Hermione continued. "Someone's told them to keep that quiet. That should've been a really big story, out-of-control dementors. They haven't even reported that you broke the International Statute of Secrecy-we thought they would, it would tie in so well with this image of you as some stupid show-off-we think they're biding their time until you're expelled, then they're really going to go to town- I mean, _if_ you're expelled, obviously," she added hurriedly, "you really shouldn't be, not if they abide by their own laws, there's no case against you."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Uh oh." Fred stuffed his Extendable Ear into his pocket and, with a pop, he and George vanished. Anna rolled her eyes, staying seated comfortably next to Ginny. A second later, Molly opened the door and looked in at them.

"The meeting's over, you can come down and have dinner now, everyone's dying to see you, Harry. And who's left all those Dungbombs outside the kitchen door?"

"Crookshanks." Ginny answered easily. "He loves playing with them."

"Oh. I thought it might have been Kreacher, he keeps doing odd things like that. Now don't forget to keep your voices down in the hall. Ginny, your hands are filthy, what have you been doing? Go and wash them before dinner, please…"

Ginny grimaced at the others before following her mother from the room. Anna followed quietly, seeing Ron and Hermione looking nervously at Harry. They probably needed a moment. She stopped out on the landing and looked over the banister. She could see the hall below was packed full of Order members. They were all whispering excitedly among themselves, and right in the very center of the mass…was Snape. Anna wrinkled her nose with distaste.

A few moments later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined her and peaked over the banister, too, clearly wanting to see if they would hear anything.

Something moved near Anna's forehead and her head snapped up to see a familiar fleshy string dangling in front of her face. Smirking, she let her eyes follow it up to the landing above, where Fred and George were cautiously lowering their Extendable Ear toward the crowd of people. Unfortunately, a moment later, everyone was moving toward the front door.

"Dammit." Fred hissed as he started pulling the ear back up.

Anna sighed in disappointment and started heading down the stairs, ignoring the younger trio's conversation as they walked behind her.

"We're eating down in the kitchen." Molly whispered once they made it to the bottom of the stairs. "Harry, dear, if you'll just tiptoe across the hall, it's through this door here-"

 _CRASH._

" _Tonks!_ " Molly cried in exasperation as everyone looked behind her. Tonks was sprawled on the floor, the troll-leg umbrella stand toppled near her foot.

"I'm sorry!" Tonks wailed. "It's that stupid umbrella stand, that's the second time I've tripped over-"

But as usual, her words were drowned out by the familiar bloodcurdling screeching. The curtains around Walburga Black's portrait flew open. She was screaming at the top of her lungs, drool dripping down her face, and eyes rolling.

Her screaming awoke the other portraits around her and they started yelling, too. Anna and the other kids clapped their hands over their ears to try and muffle the noise.

Remus and Molly hurried forward and tried to yank the curtains shut again, but they wouldn't close and her screaming got louder.

 _"Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers-"_

Tonks was apologizing over and over while picking up the umbrella stand. Molly abandoned Walburga's portrait and ran around Stunning the other portraits with her wand.

Finally, Anna saw her father come storming from the kitchen. "Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP!" he roared, seizing the curtain.

" _Yoooou!"_ the woman screeched at the sight of her son's face. _"Bloodtraitor, abomination, shame of my flesh!"_

"I said-shut-UP!" Sirius roared, finally yanking the curtains closed with Lupin's help.

Finally, peaceful silence fell over the hall and Anna sighed in relief, letting her hands drop from her ears.

Sirius was panting, sweeping his long, black hair from his face as he turned to greet Harry. Anna left them to it and headed to the kitchen. Most of the light was coming from the large fire at the far end of the room, and a haze of pipe smoke hung in the air. Several chairs had been crammed into the room for the meeting around the long wooden table. Arthur and Bill were talking quietly with their heads bent together at the end of the table. Mundungus was asleep slouched over the table.

Anna walked over to where her mum was working at the stove.

"How'd the meeting go?" she asked casually, leaning back against the counter next to the stove.

Wren smiled at her. "It went fine. Did you see Harry yet?"

"Yep. We talked for a while. He's, um,…not too thrilled about being left out of everything." Anna admitted.

Wren smiled sympathetically. "That's understandable."

Anna glanced up as her dad lead the way into the kitchen, Harry and some others following him. Molly saw her husband and eldest son at the table and cleared her throat. Arthur looked around and jumped to his feet. Anna slipped across the room to where Bill was hastily trying to roll up the several bits of parchment.

"Anything interesting?" she asked casually, lightly pulling on the end of Bill's ponytail. Since he joined the Order, he was around frequently over the summer and Anna had gotten the chance to get to know the oldest Weasley sibling a bit better.

Bill smirked over at her as he continued to hastily roll the parchment up in an attempt to keep anyone from seeing them. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Who do you take me for? Fred?" she teased. "I could help you clean those up if you want." she offered casually.

"Nice try. Why don't you help set the table?" he suggested, seeing through her little charade.

"It was worth a try." she said with a shrug, going back to the stove.

Arthur and Bill greeted Harry, and Tonks accidentally toppled a candle onto the parchments. Molly cleared the mess quickly and told her son off for not having the stuff cleared away at the end of the meeting. Meanwhile, Sirius introduced Harry to Mundungus.

Anna helped Ginny gather cutlery from the dresser and began setting places at the table. She paused to scratched Crookshanks on the head as he sat curled up on Sirius's lap.

"Ah, Fred, George, why don't you two help set the table, as well?" Molly suggested as soon as the twins entered the room.

Both grimaced but nodded consent and approached the counter.

Anna scooped a balled up piece of napkin off the floor and approached the trash can in the corner to throw it away.

"Fred-George-NO, JUST CARRY THEM!" Molly suddenly shrieked.

Anna spun around in time to see that the twins had betwitched everything to fly to the table. A big cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of butterbeer, and a heavy cutting board with a knife hurtle through the air. Harry, Sirius, and Mundungus dove from the table just in time as the stew skidded the length of the table, leaving a long, black burn on the surface, until it came to a stop just at the edge. The flagon fell with a crash, spilling butterbeer all over the table and floor. Finally, the knife slipped from the cutting board and stabbed into the table exactly where Sirius's hand had been seconds before.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" Molly screamed, her face turning dark red. "THERE WAS NO NEED-I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS-JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"

"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" Fred argued, hurrying over and wrenching the knife from the table. "Sorry Sirius, mate-didn't mean to-"

Harry and Sirius were both laughing, and Anna couldn't help letting out a relieved laugh, too, now that no one had been stabbed or burned. Mundungus had toppled backward off his chair, and was now swearing as he clambered to his feet. Crookshanks was peaking out from under the dresser, glaring up at everyone with large, yellow eyes.

"Boys," said Arthur, lifting the stew back into the middle of the table, "your mother's right, you're supposed to show a sense of responsibility now you've come of age. Anna doesn't cause any trouble with her magic-"

"-none of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!" Molly ranted at the twins, slamming a new flagon onto the table and nearly spilling it. "Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't Charm everything he met! Percy-"

She stopped, her breath catching in her throat as she gave her husband a frightened glance. Arthur's expression was suddenly cold and stony.

"Let's eat." Bill suggested quickly.

"It looks wonderful, Molly." Remus told her, ladling stew onto a plate and handing it to Molly while Wren rested a hand on her back and gently guided her to a seat.

Anna sat down between the twins, and it was silent for a few minutes apart from the clinking of silverware on plates. Finally, Molly turned to Sirius and spoke.

"I've been meaning to tell you, there's something trapped in that writing desk in the drawing room, it keeps rattling and shaking. Of course, it could just be a boggart, but I thought we ought to ask Alastor to have a look at it before we let it out."

"Whatever you like." Sirius said indifferently.

"The curtains in there are full of doxies, too." Molly went on. "I thought we might try and tackle them tomorrow."

While her father responded, Anna turned and raised her eyebrows excitedly at the twins. They both smirked in return, all three thinking of the doxie venom they'd been wanting to experiment with for their Skiving Snackboxes.

Across the table, Tonks spent a majority of the meal entertaining Hermione and Ginny by changing her nose, like she usually did. First it was beak-like, then like a button, and then she sprouted a bunch of hair from her nostrils.

Anna chose to join their conversation, seeing as the twins and Ron were listening to one of Mundungus's stories, whom Anna wasn't quite as fond of as her friends. So, her and Tonks began doing a sort of duel performance for Hermione and Ginny's entertainment.

After a while, Molly made Mundungus shut up, as she wasn't fond of his stories, either. However, to Anna's mild displeasure, Molly threw a nasty look at Sirius before standing up and getting dessert. It was probably because she didn't like Mundungus.

After everyone had eaten a few helpings of rhubarb crumble, Anna saw her mother eat four helpings, everyone was very relaxed and lazy. Arthur was leaning back in his chair, Tonks was yawning, Anna was resting her cheek in her hand, and Ginny was sitting on the floor and rolling corks around for Crookshanks.

"Nearly time for bed, I think." Molly finally broke the comfortable silence with a yawn.

"Not just yet, Molly." Sirius interrupted, turning to look at Harry. "You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."

The feeling in the air instantly changed. Everyone went from being sleepily relaxed to tense and alert. Anna sat up straight, her hands moving from the tabletop to her lap.

"I did!" Harry exclaimed indignantly. "I asked Ron and Hermione but they said we're not allowed in the Order, so-"

"And they're quite right." Molly cut in, her back ramrod straight and fists clenched on her chair arms. "You're too young."

Anna refrained from grimacing while the twins both scowled at their mother.

"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" Sirius asked simply. "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happen-"

"Hang on!" George interrupted loudly.

"How come Harry gets his questions answered?!" Fred added angrily. Anna didn't voice her anger, but even she was glaring at her father. It wasn't fair that Harry gets to know things his first night while the rest of them had been needing to bend over backwards to eavesdrop for the last month.

" _We've_ been trying to get stuff out of you for a month and you haven't told us a single stinking thing!" George continued.

" _'You're too young, you're not in the Order,'_ " Fred continued in a high-pitched imitation of his mother. "Harry's not even of age!"

"It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order's doing." Sirius told them calmly. "That's your parents' decision. Harry, on the other hand-"

"Um, hello, are you forgetting something?" Anna asked sarcastically, lifting a hand in the air. " _You're_ my father. Why are you letting Harry know things, but you and Mum have insisted on keeping me in the dark all month?"

Sirius grimaced and glanced at his wife, who gave him a stern look back. "Anna, darling, your mother-" Wren cleared her throat, "I mean, your mother and I want to keep you safe. You don't need to worry about what's going on, and neither of us would feel comfortable with you in the Order. It's too dangerous."

"I'm of age. And so are Fred and George. We're old enough to leave school and live on our own. So technically, we should be able to join the Order with or without our parents' consent." she pointed out firmly, to which both twins echoed with 'yeah!'.

"That doesn't matter. Any of you joining the Order is completely out of the question." Molly insisted. "And it's not up to you to decide what's good for Harry." she added sharply to Sirius, her eyes dangerously sharp. "You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?"

"Which bit?" Sirius asked politely, yet knowingly. Wren smacked his arm with the back of her hand.

"The bit about not telling Harry more than he _needs to know_." Molly explained, putting added emphasis on the last few words.

Anna, Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione's heads turned from Sirius to Molly as they watched the interaction. Ginny had sat up on her knees in the middle of the abandoned butterbeer corks, watching the interaction with her mouth open. Remus and Wren both had their eyes fixed on Sirius's face.

"I don't intend to tell him more than he _needs to know_ , Molly." Sirius informed her calmly. "But as he was the one who saw Voldemort come back," there was a brief shudder around the table as the forbidden name, "he has more right than most to-"

"He's not a member of the Order of the Phoenix!" Molly exclaimed. "He's only fifteen and-"

"-and he's dealt with as much as most in the Order," Sirius cut in, "and more than some-"

"No one's denying what he's done!" Molly insisted, her voice rising with every sentence and her fists trembling on the arm of her chair. "But he's still-"

"He's not a child!" Sirius exclaimed impatiently.

"He's not an adult, either!" Molly exclaimed, her face turning red. "He's not _James_ , Sirius!"

Anna winced and noticed her mother did, as well, both witches turning to look at Sirius worriedly.

"I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly." Sirius told her coldly.

"I'm not sure you are! Sometimes, the way you talk about him, it's as though you think you've got your best friend back!"

"What's wrong with that?" Harry asked.

"What's wrong, Harry, is that you are _not_ your father, however much you might look like him!" Molly answered, her glare still fixed firmly on Sirius. "You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!"

"Meaning I'm an irresponsible godfather?" Sirius demanded, his voice rising. Wren bit her lip, taking his hand in hers atop the table.

"Meaning you've been known to act rashly, Sirius. That's why Dumbledore is hesitant to give you certain missions."

"We'll leave my instructions from Dumbledore out of this, if you please!" Sirius suggested loudly. As far as Anna knew, Dumbledore had given her father a handful of 'missions' over the summer. But as they were rare, and since his training as an Auror was only a few days a week, he had a lot of time on his hands and often grew bored.

"Arthur!" Molly suddenly exclaimed, rounding on her husband. "Arthur, back me up!"

Anna half-expected Arthur Weasley to stutter and try to wiggle his way out of the conversation, but he remained remarkably calm. He took his glasses off his face and cleaned them slowly with his robes, not looking at anyone for several moments. Only when his glasses were back on his face did he speak. "Dumbledore knows the position has changed, Molly. He accepts that Harry will have to be filled in to a certain extent now that he is staying at headquarters-"

"Yes, but there's a difference between that and inviting him to ask whatever he likes!" Molly argued.

"Personally," Remus finally spoke, looking away from his best friend at last as Molly looked at him hopefully, "I think it better that Harry get the facts-not all the facts, Molly, but the general picture-from us, rather than a garbled version from…others."

Anna bit her lip to smother her smirk, peaking between the twins out of the corners of her eyes to see similar expressions. Remus was clearly referring to their surviving Extendable Ears.

"Wren?" Molly, looking desperate, turned to the only other mother at the table. "You agree with me, don't you? Harry's much too young to know any of this."

Wren looked conflicted, chewing her lip much like Anna often did when she was thinking hard about something. Wren glanced over at Sirius, then Remus, Harry, Anna, and finally her eyes landed back on Molly.

"I want to protect Harry as much as you do, Molly." she started slowly. "But I also know that Harry, as well as all the kids at this table, will stop at just about nothing to find out what we say at meetings. And, to an extent, they do deserve to at least ask questions. Of course, if it's something we think they're not ready to know, we don't have to answer. But there's nothing wrong with asking questions."

"Well," Molly took a deep breath and visibly deflated as she looked around the table for some support, "well…I can see I'm going to be overruled. I'll just say this: Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much, and speaking as someone who has got Harry's best interests at heart-"

"He's not your son." Sirius interrupted quietly.

"He's as good as." Molly countered firmly. "Who else has he got?"

"He's got me! And-"

"Yes." Molly cut Sirius off again, her lip curling. "The thing is, it's been rather difficult for you to look after him while you've been locked up in Azkaban, hasn't it?"

Anna's mouth fell open while her father started to rise from his seat.

"Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry." Remus told her sharply, his voice cutting through the tense air around the kitchen. "Sirius, sit _down_."

Wren gently pulled on her husband's arm and Sirius slowly lowered himself back into his chair. Anna was worried when she noticed his face was very pale as he wrapped his arm around her mother's shoulders, pulling her into his side.

"I think Harry ought to have a say in this." Remus continued. "He's old enough to decide for himself."

"I want to know what's been going on." Harry answered as once, though Anna noticed he was awkwardly avoiding looking at Molly.

"Very well." Molly conceded, her voice cracking. "Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Anna, Fred, George, I want you out of this kitchen, now."

"We're of age!" Fred and George shouted together.

"If Harry's allowed, why can't I?" Ron demanded.

"Mum, I _want_ to!" Ginny cried.

Hermione and Anna remained quiet, but Anna turned and gaped at her parents. She half-wanted to shout that Molly wasn't her mother and couldn't tell her what to do, but instead she thought it'd be better for her to appeal to her own parents. She met her father's eyes and he glanced at his wife. Wren glanced at him, then her daughter, before sighing in defeat and nodding as she said firmly for the room to hear, "Anna is allowed to stay."

Anna sighed in relief.

"Very well." Molly said stiffly. "But I absolutely forbid-"

"Molly, you can't stop Fred and George." Arthur reminded his wife wearily. "They're of age, and-"

"They're still in school-"

"But they're legally adults, now."

"And let's be honest. Anna will tell them everything, anyway." Remus added knowingly.

Anna kept her face carefully blank, but she could see the twins smirking proudly out of the corner of her eyes.

Molly was not impressed, and her face was dark red.

"I-oh, alright then, Fred and George can stay, but Ron-"

"Harry'll tell me and Hermione everything, too!" Ron pointed out hotly. "Won't-won't you?" he added, looking uncertainly at his best friend.

Harry was silent for all of a second before answering, "'Course I will." This caused Ron and Hermione to beam.

"Fine!" Molly shouted. "Fine! Ginny-BED!"

Anna bit her lip as Ginny stormed from the room, ranting and raging at her mother as she stomped upstairs. Mrs. Black's screeching added to the noise when the young redhead reached the hall, and Remus hurried from the room to silence the portrait. Anna's father spoke only when it was quiet again and Remus returned to his seat at the table.

"Okay, Harry…what do you want to know?"

Harry took a deep breath before asking, "Where's Voldemort? What's he doing? I've been trying to watch the Muggle news and there hasn't been anything that looks like him yet, no funny deaths or anything-"

"That's because there haven't been any suspicious deaths yet," Sirius answered, "not as far as we know, anyway…And we know quite a lot."

"More than he thinks we do anyway." Remus added.

"How come he's stopped killing people?" Harry asked.

"Because he doesn't want to draw attention to himself at the moment." Sirius explained. "It would be dangerous for him. His comeback didn't come off quite the way he wanted it to, you see. He messed is up."

"Or rather, you messed it up for him." Remus said with a satisfied grin.

"How?" Harry asked in confusion. Anna thought it should've been obvious.

"You weren't supposed to survive!" Sirius exclaimed. "Nobody apart from his Death Eaters was supposed to know he'd come back. But you survived to bear witness."

"And the very last person he wanted alerted to his return the moment he got back was Dumbledore." Remus explained. "And you made sure Dumbledore knew at once."

"How has that helped?" Harry asked.

"Are you kidding?" Bill asked in disbelief, taking the words right out of Anna's mouth as she stared at Harry. "Dumbledore was the only one You-Know-Who was ever scared of!"

"Thanks to you, Dumbledore was able to recall the Order of the Phoenix about an hour after Voldemort returned." Sirius added.

"So what's the Order been doing?" Harry asked, looking around at everyone.

"Not telling us a bloody thing." Fred muttered so only Anna could hear, making her bite her lip to hide a smile.

"Working as hard as we can to make sure Voldemort can't carry out his plans." Sirius assured him.

"How d'you know what his plans are?" Harry asked quickly.

"Dumbledore's got a shrewd idea, and Dumbledore's shrewd ideas normally turn out to be accurate." Remus admitted.

"So what does Dumbledore reckon he's planning?"

"Well, firstly, he wants to build up his army again." Sirius explained. "In the old days he had huge numbers at his command; witches and wizards he'd bullied or bewitched into following him, his faithful Death Eaters, a great variety of Dark creatures. You heard him planning to recruit the giants; well, they'll be just one group he's after. He's certainly not going to try and take on the Ministry of Magic with only a dozen Death Eaters."

"So you're trying to stop him getting more followers?"

"We're doing our best." Remus answered.

"How?" Anna couldn't help asking before Harry could. Why should he be the only one allowed to ask questions? She wanted to know what her friends, family, and other Order members were doing.

"Well, the main thing is to try and convince as many people as possible that You-Know-Who really has returned, to put them on their guard." Bill answered, glancing between his siblings and their friends, "It's proving tricky, though."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because of the Ministry's attitude." Tonks answered. "You saw Cornelius Fudge after You-Know-Who came back, Harry. Well, he hasn't shifted his position at all. He's absolutely refusing to believe it's happened."

"But why?" Harry asked desperately. "Why's he being so stupid? If Dumbledore-"

"Ah, well, you've put your finger on the problem." Arthur cut in with a wry smile. " _Dumbledore_."

"Fudge is frightened of him, you see." Tonks explained sadly.

"Frightened of Dumbledore?" Harry repeated incredulously.

"Frightened of what he's up to." Arthur clarified. "You see, Fudge thinks Dumbledore's plotting to overthrow him. He thinks Dumbledore wants to be Minister of Magic."

"But Dumbledore doesn't want-"

"Of course he doesn't." Arthur agreed. "He's never wanted the Minister's job, even though a lot of people wanted him to take it when Millicent Bagnold retired. Fudge came to power instead, but he's never quite forgotten how much popular support Dumbledore had, even though Dumbledore never applied for the job."

"Deep down, Fudge knows Dumbledore's much cleverer than he is, a much more powerful wizard, and in the early days of his Ministry he was forever asking Dumbledore for help and advice." Remus explained. "But it seems that he's become fond of power now, and much more confident. He loves being Minister of Magic, and he's managed to convince himself that he's the clever one and Dumbledore's simply stirring up trouble for the sake of it."

"How can he think that?" Harry demanded angrily. "How can he think Dumbledore would just make it all up-that _I'd_ make it all up?"

"Because accepting that Voldemort's back would mean trouble like the Ministry hasn't had to cope with for nearly fourteen years." Sirius answered bitterly. "Fudge just can't bring himself to face it. It's so much more comfortable to convince himself Dumbledore's lying to destabilize him."

"You see the problem." said Lupin. "While the Ministry insists there is nothing to fear from Voldemort, it's hard to convince people he's back, especially as they really don't want to believe it in the first place. What's more, the Ministry's leaning heavily on the _Daily Prophet_ not to report any of what they're calling Dumbledore's rumor-mongering, so most of the Wizarding community are completely unaware anything's happened, and that makes them easy targets for the Death Eaters if they're using the Imperius Curse."

"But you're telling people, aren't you?" Harry asked, looking around at all the Order members at the table; Arthur, Sirius, Wren, Bill, Mundungus, Remus, and Tonks. "You're letting people know he's back?"

They all smiled grimly.

"Well, as many are still wary of me due to my time in Azkaban, no one would take me very seriously." Sirius answered grimly.

"And I'm not a very popular dinner guest with most of the community." Remus added. "It's an occupational hazard of being a werewolf."

Anna grimaced with dislike.

"Tonks, Wren, and Arthur could lose their jobs at the Ministry if they started shooting their mouths off," Sirius added, "and it's very important for us to have spies inside the Ministry, because you can bet Voldemort will have them."

"We've managed to convince a couple of people, though." Arthur pointed out. "Tonks here, for one-she's too young to have been in the Order of the Phoenix last time, and having Aurors on our side is a huge advantage-Kingsley Shacklebolt's been a real asset too."

"But if none of you's putting the news out that Voldemort's back-"

"Who said none of us was putting the news out?" Sirius interrupted Harry. "Why d'you think Dumbledore's in such trouble?"

"What d'you mean?"

"They're trying to discredit him." Remus explained. "Didn't you see the _Daily Prophet_ last week? They reported that he'd been voted out of the Chairmanship of the International Confederation of Wizards because he's getting old and losing his grip, but it's not true, he was voted out by Ministry wizards after he made a speech announcing Voldemort's return. They've demoted him from Chief Warlock on the Wizengamot-that's the Wizard High Court-and they're talking about taking away his Order of Merlin, First Class, too."

"But Dumbledore says he doesn't care what they do as long as they don't take him off the Chocolate Frog cards." Bill added with a grin. Anna instantly returned the smile, completely amused that out of everything, that was the thing Dumbledore cared about keeping.

"It's no laughing matter." Arthur said shortly. "If he carries on defying the Ministry like this, he could end up in Azkaban and the last thing we want is Dumbledore locked up. While You-Know-Who knows Dumbledore's out there and wise to what he's up to, he's going to go cautiously for a while. If Dumbledore's out of the way-well, You-Know-Who will have a clear field."

"But if Voldemort's trying to recruit more Death Eaters, it's bound to get out that he's come back, isn't it?" Harry asked desperately.

"Voldemort doesn't march up to people's houses and bang on their front doors, Harry." Sirius explained. "He tricks, jinxes, and blackmails them. He's well-practiced at operating in secrecy. In any case, gathering followers isn't only one thing he's interested in, he's got other plans too, plans he can put into operation very quietly indeed, and he's concentrating on them at the moment."

"What's he after apart from followers?"

Anna could've sworn her father and Remus exchanged a glance before her father answered the question, "Stuff he can only get by stealth." Harry, along with all the kids at the table, continued to look confused, so Sirius continued, "Like a weapon. Something he didn't have last time."

"When he was powerful before?"

"Yes."

"Like what kind of weapon?" Harry asked. "Something worse than the _Avada Kedavra-_?"

"That's enough."

Every head turned toward the doorway, where Molly was standing in the shadows by the door, her arms crossed angrily. No one had seemed to notice her return from taking Ginny upstairs.

"I want you in bed, now. All of you." she added, looking around at all the kids.

"You can't boss us-" Fred started to say.

"Watch me." Molly snarled while Anna gently squeezed Fred's wrist to silently tell him to calm down. She could see that Molly was worked up. She was trembling slightly as her eyes moved to Wren and Sirius. "You've given Harry plenty of information. Any more and you might just as well induct him into the Order straightaway."

"Why not?" Harry asked quickly. "I'll join. I want to join, I want to fight-"

"No."

Anna turned her head back around to stare at Remus, who had been the one to speak this time.

"The Order is comprised only of overage wizards." he said. "Wizards who have left school." he added when Fred and George opened their mouths. "There are dangers involved of which you can have no idea, any of you…I think Molly's right, Sirius. We've said enough."

Wren rested her hand on her husband's and nodded in agreement, so Sirius half-shrugged.

Molly waved all the remaining kids out of the kitchen, and they all followed her in defeat.

"At least we found some stuff out." Anna whispered to Fred and George as they made their way up the stairs.

"S'pose so." they muttered, still looking disappointed.

"I want you all to go straight to bed, no talking." Molly ordered them as she followed them up the stairs. When they reached the first landing, she continued, "We've got a busy day tomorrow. I expect Ginny's asleep," she added to Hermione and Anna, "so try not to wake her up."

Molly continued past and headed up the stairs after Ron, Harry, and George.

"Goodnight." Hermione whispered to everyone before entering the bedroom.

"Asleep, yeah, right." Fred muttered, referring back to his mother's comment on Ginny. "If Ginny's not lying awake waiting for you two to tell her everything they said downstairs, then I'm a flobberworm…"

"Really? Well, that explains a lot." Anna teased quietly.

Fred glared playfully at her, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "You're hilarious."

"I know I am." she boasted jokingly.

"Guess I'll see you in the morning. We've got a busy day tomorrow." Fred added in a mock-serious voice.

"I guess so." Anna sighed, already dreading whatever Molly Weasley had in mind.

Her thoughts were cut off by a set of soft lips touching hers. Anna smiled into the slow kiss, one hand coming up to rest on his chest while his thumb brushed her cheek. The kiss only lasted a few seconds before he pulled back and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight." he whispered, looking down at her.

"Night." she whispered back, smiling up at him before turning and going into her room.

 **XXX**

 **Sorry there wasn't really any new stuff in this chapter, despite how long it was. But the next chapter, which I plan to post on September 1, has a lot of Anna-related stuff to make up for it.**


	3. Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

**Happy September 1** **st** **!**

 **I'm posting this chapter today for two reasons. One: it's September 1** **st** **, I couldn't just not post a chapter today.**

 **Two: today marks one year since I posted chapter one of** _ **House of Courage**_ **. That's right, it's officially been one year since I started posting this trilogy! And look how far we've come!**

 **Also a quick warning for this chapter. Anna has a mild flashback of what Flint did. But then there's a bunch of FredXAnna fluffiness to make up for it! And SiriusXAnna father/daughter fluffiness.**

 **Make sure to review and let me know what you all think of this chapter!**

 **XXX**

Annabelle was shaken awake early the next morning by Hermione. She dressed in old, worn clothes and headed down for breakfast with the other two girls.

"So, what's the plan for today again?" she asked tiredly, serving herself some tea and eggs.

"We're cleaning the drawing room. There's a bunch of doxies in there." Fred answered as he sat next to her. Leaning down so his lips were near her ear, he added in a whisper, "George and I were thinking of pocketing a couple so we can experiment with the venom."

Anna nodded, remembering a conversation a few weeks prior about possibly using doxy venom in their Skiving Snackboxes.

"George, why don't you go wake up Harry and Ron?" Molly suggested as she placed a heaping plate of pancakes on the table.

George sighed before disappearing with a pop. Anna rolled her eyes. He acted like it was a huge chore, when all he had to do is disappear and reappear in Harry and Ron's room.

Sure enough, George reappeared about fifteen seconds later and sat next to Fred. "They're up." he announced, serving himself some breakfast.

Harry and Ron joined them about fifteen minutes later and started eating their own breakfast before everyone met up in the drawing room. It was a long room with a high ceiling. The walls were an olive-green and covered in dirty tapestries. With every step anyone took, little clouds of dust rose from the carpet. Finally, the moss-green curtains were buzzing loudly, a sound Anna recognized from one of her Care of Magical Creatures lessons. Molly was waiting by one of the sets of curtains. Everyone joined her and she passed out cloths, telling them to tie them around their mouths and noses.

Anna did as instructed, like the other kids, tying the cloth behind her head so her mouth and nose were covered. Molly then handed them each a large bottle of black liquid with a spray nozzle on the end, which she explained was Doxycide to get rid of the Doxy infestation.

Harry and Ron were the last to join them, and Molly quickly told them what to do.

Anna sat on the big sofa with her own bottle to wait for further instructions.

Her father showed up and looked over the writing desk, confirming that it was most likely a boggart that was making it shake.

The familiar loud, clanging sound of the doorbell sounded downstairs, causing several of the portraits to start screeching.

"I keep telling them not to ring the doorbell!" Sirius sighed in aggravation, hurrying from the room and down the stairs. Anna and the twins turned to look out the open door, curious as to who it might be as Walburga Black's screeches echoed up the stairs.

"Close the door, please, Harry." Molly told him, as he was closest to the door.

Harry obviously took as much time as possible to close the door to the drawing room. Molly was staring at the back of his head, so he slowly closed the door, probably to keep her from getting angry at him.

When he rejoined them, Molly was bent over one of Gilderoy Lockhart's old books lying open on the couch next to Anna.

"Right, you lot, you need to be careful, because doxies bite and their teeth are poisonous . I've got a bottle of antidote here, but I'd rather nobody need it."

She straightened up, positioned herself squarely in front of the curtains, and beckoned them all forward. Anna stood up and joined everyone in a semicircle around the older witch.

"When I say the word, start spraying immediately." she ordered. "They'll come flying out at us, I expect, but it says on the sprays one good squirt will paralyze them. When they're immobilized, just throw them in this bucket."

Everyone raised their spray bottles and Molly stepped out of the way so they had a clear shot.

"Alright- _squirt_!"

They all began spraying the curtain, and within a few seconds a full-grown doxy came flying out of the curtains. It had shiny, beetle-like wings, tiny, needle-sharp teeth bared angrily, it's tiny body covered in thick, black hair, and four miniscule fists clenched. Harry managed to get it right in the face, so that it froze in midair and fell to the floor.

On Anna's other side, Fred managed to snag a doxy from the air without spraying it and was now holding it by the fur between his thumb and forefinger.

"Fred, what are you doing?" Molly asked sharply. "Spray that at once and throw it away!"

"Right-o." Fred said brightly, quickly spraying the doxy in the face. When Molly turned away, he stuffed it in his pocket, winking at Anna.

George whispered to Harry their plans for the doxy venom, which lead to Harry asking what Skiving Snackboxes were, so George and Fred quietly explained that, too, while keeping a wary eye on their mother's back.

"But they still need a bit of work." Fred was whispering as Anna joined them, also pocketing a doxy she sprayed. "At the moment our testers are having a bit of trouble stopping puking long enough to swallow the purple end."

Anna shuddered just at the memory. She'd tested the puking pastilles once and only once. It wasn't a pleasant experience in the slightest.

"Testers?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Us." Fred answered. "Me, George, and Anna. We take it in turns. Anna did the Fainting Fancies, and me and George tried the Nosebleed Nougat-"

"Mum thought we'd been dueling." George added.

"Joke shop still on, then?" Harry asked quietly, pretending to fix the nozzle on his spray bottle.

"Well, we haven't had a chance to get premises yet," Fred explained, his voice even lower as he kept an eye on his mother, "so we're running it as a mail-order service at the moment. We put advertisements in the _Daily Prophet_ last week."

"All thanks to you, mate." George added. "But don't worry…Mum hasn't got a clue. She won't read the _Daily Prophet_ anymore, 'cause of it telling lies about you and Dumbledore."

Spraying the curtains and getting rid of the doxies took most of the morning. Molly finally let them all take a break a little while after midday, so they could remove the protective cloths from their mouths and noses. The unconscious doxies were crammed into the bucket by the door, next to a bowl of their black eggs that they'd gathered. Anna guessed the twins were considering taking those, too, as they were eyeing them longingly.

"I think we'll tackle _those_ after lunch." Molly decided aloud, pointing at the dusty, glass-fronted cabinets on either side of the mantelpiece.

The doorbell clanged loudly again from downstairs and all the kids turned to look at Molly.

"Stay here." she told them firmly as Mrs. Black's portrait began shrieking again. "I'll bring up some sandwiches."

She left the room, closing the door carefully behind her. As soon as it clicked shut, everyone raced over to the window to look down at the doorsteps below. All they could see was the top of an unkempt ginger head and a stack of precariously balanced cauldrons.

"Mundungus!" Hermione said. "What's he brought all those cauldrons for?"

"Probably looking for a safe place to keep them." Harry guessed. "Isn't that what he was doing the night he was supposed to be tailing me? Picking up dodgy cauldrons?"

"Yeah, you're right!" Fred agreed just as the front door opened. Mundungus heaved his load into the house, disappearing from their view. "Blimey, Mum won't like that…"

Him and George left the window and hurried over to the door. Anna followed and the three stood near it to try and listen. Mrs. Black's portrait had gone quiet again.

"Mundungus is talking to Sirius and Kingsley." Fred murmured, frowning with concentration. "Can't hear properly…d'you reckon we can risk the Extendable Ears?" he asked, glancing at George and Anna.

"Might be worth it." George admitted while Anna shrugged. "I could sneak upstairs and get a pair-"

Anna was thinking of saying she was surprised they didn't always have one on hand when a sudden explosion of noise made getting one unnecessary. Molly Weasley seemed to be screaming at the top of her lungs.

"WE ARE NOT RUNNING A HIDEOUT FOR STOLEN GOODS!"

"I love hearing Mum shouting at someone else." Fred sighed, a satisfied smile on his face as he opened the door an inch or two to hear a little better. "It makes such a nice change."

"-COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE, AS IF WE HAVEN'T GOT ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT WITHOUT YOU DRAGGING STOLEN CAULDRONS INTO THE HOUSE-"

"The idiots are letting her get into her stride." said George, shaking his head as if they should know better. "You've got to head her off early, otherwise she builds up a head of steam and goes on for hours. And she's been dying to have a go at Mundungus ever since he sneaked off when he was supposed to be following you, Harry-and there goes Sirius's mum again-"

Anna winced and stepped away from the door as her grandmother's shrieks joined Molly's, making a deafening racket that made her head throb. Then all the other portraits started screaming. George made to close the door, but then Kreacher pushed his way into the room.

He shuffled around, not taking any notice of everyone in the room and muttering under his breath, "…smells like a drain and a criminal to boot, but she's not better, nasty old blood traitor with her brats messing up my Mistress's house, oh my poor Mistress, if she knew, if she knew the scum they've let in her house, what would she say to old Kreacher, oh the shame of it. Mudbloods and werewolves and traitors and thieves, poor old Kreacher, what can he do…"

"Hello, Kreacher." Fred greeted very loudly, closing the door with a snap. Anna rested a hand on his forearm, silently telling him to calm down.

Kreacher froze in his tracks, stopped muttering, and gave a very obvious and fake jerk of surprise.

"Kreacher did not see Young Master " he said, turning around and bowing to Fred. With his nose inches from the carpet, he added audibly, "Nasty little brat of a blood traitor it is."

"Sorry?" George asked just as loudly as his twin. "Didn't catch that last bit."

"Kreacher said nothing," the elf said, turning and bowing to George and adding in a clear mutter, "and there's its twin, unnatural little beasts they are."

Anna bit her lip, glancing around at the others as the elf continued muttering to himself. Harry looked very conflicted, as if unsure whether to laugh or not.

"This is Harry, Kreacher." Hermione spoke tentatively, since the elf had just been calling her a Mudblood under his breath. "Harry Potter."

Kreacher's pale eyes went wide and he began muttering furiously under his breath. "The Mudblood is talking to Kreacher as though she is my friend, if Kreacher's Mistress saw him in such company, oh what would she say-"

"Don't call her a Mudblood!" Ron and Ginny shouted angrily together.

"It doesn't matter," Hermione whispered, "he's not in his right mind, he doesn't know what he's-"

"Don't kid yourself, Hermione, he knows _exactly_ what he's saying." Fred told her, eyeing the house-elf with near-hatred.

"Is it true?" Kreacher continued muttering to himself, "Is it Harry Potter? Kreacher can see the scar, it must be true, that's the boy who stopped the Dark Lord. Kreacher wonders how he did it-"

"Don't we all, Kreacher?" Fred asked.

"What do you want anyway?" George asked.

"Kreacher is cleaning." he answered evasively, his eyes darting to George once.

"A likely story." a familiar voice spoke from behind Anna. She turned around to see that her father had returned and opened the door without any of them noticing. He was glowering at the elf, and Anna finally noticed that the noise in the hall had quieted.

At the sight of his Master, Kreacher threw himself in a bow to low, his nose flattened to the floor.

"Stand up straight." Sirius ordered impatiently. "Now, what are you up to?"

"Kreacher is cleaning." the house elf repeated. "Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black-"

"And it's getting blacker every day, it's filthy." Sirius interrupted.

"Master always liked his little joke." said Kreacher, bowing again and muttering to himself, "Master was a nasty ungrateful swine who broke his mother's heart-"

"My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher." Sirius snapped. "She kept herself alive out of pure spite."

Anna sighed silently, moving away from the twins and her father to cross the room. She didn't want to deal with anymore conflict in this house.

She stopped in front of the worn tapestry containing the Black family tree. There were spots that looked as though some of the doxies had nibbled away at it. The gold thread it was embroidered with glinted brightly as it showed the Black family going back centuries. At the very top in large letters, it read,

THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK

'TOUJOURS PUR'

Anna lazily let her eyes scan the large tapestry. Even though she hated her father's side of her family, she found it somewhat interesting to see who she was related to and how. She'd found herself scanning the tapestry at least a few times during the summer.

There were a few little burn marks to show where people had been disowned and blasted off the family tree. She could see what she supposed was her father's burn mark, and Andromeda's a little to the side, between the names Bellatrix and Narcissa. Her nose scrunched up in dislike when she saw Narcissa's linked to Lucius Malfoy, and their son Draco just below them.

After a few minutes, she felt several people around her. Looking up, she found her father standing next to her, looking at the tapestry. Harry was on his other side, and the others were grouped around them. Fred and George stood at Anna's other side, Fred taking her hand subtly in his.

"You're not on here!" Harry said after a few moments, his eyes scanning the bottom of the tapestry.

"I used to be there." Sirius explained, pointing at the burn Anna had already guessed was his. "My sweet old mother blasted me off after I ran away from home-Kreacher's quite fond of muttering the story under his breath."

"You ran away from home?" Harry asked.

"When I was about sixteen." Sirius nodded. "I'd had enough."

"Where did you go?" Harry asked, staring up at him.

"Your dad's place." Sirius answered. "Your grandparents were really good about it; they sort of adopted me as a second son. Yeah. I camped out at your dad's during the school holidays, and then when I was seventeen I got a place of my own, my Uncle Alphard had left me a decent bit of gold-he's been wiped off here too, that's probably why-anyway, after that I looked after myself. Of course, after graduation Wren and I bought our cottage so we'd have a better home for our daughter. We were always welcome at Mr. and Mrs. Potter's for Sunday lunch, though."

"But…why did you…?"

"Leave?" Sirius smiled bitterly and ran a hair through his long hair. "Because I hated the whole lot of them: my parents, with their pure-blood mania, convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal…my idiot brother, soft enough to believe them…that's him."

Anna's eyes moved to where her father jabbed his finger at the bottom of the tree, at the name Regulus Black. His date of death was about fifteen years ago.

"He was younger than me," Sirius explained, "and a much better son, as I was constantly reminded."

"But he died." said Harry while Anna fixed her eyes on her father's face. He'd never told her anything about his brother. She'd known he had one, but he never talked about his family.

"Yeah. Stupid idiot…he joined the Death Eaters."

"You're kidding!" Harry exclaimed in shock. Anna felt mildly surprised, but not very much. It made sense, given how her father and his brother seemed to have been raised.

"Come on, Harry, haven't you seen enough of this house to tell what kind of wizards my family were?" Sirius asked impatiently.

"Were-were your parents Death Eaters as well?"

"No, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the Wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having purebloods in charge. They weren't alone either, there were quite a few people, before Voldemort showed his true colors, who thought he had the right idea about things…They got cold feet when they saw what he was prepared to do to get power, though. But I bet my parents thought Regulus was a right little hero for joining up at first."

"Was he killed by an Auror?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Oh no." Sirius answered, much to Anna's surprise. She would've thought that was how he died. "No, he was murdered by Voldemort. Or on Voldemort's orders, more likely, I doubt Regulus was ever important enough to be killed by Voldemort in person. From what I found out after he died, he got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out. Well, you don't just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It's a lifetime of service or death."

"Lunch." Molly's voice sounded behind them, making Anna jump slightly. She'd been so focused on her father's story, her eyes never leaving his expressions, that she hadn't noticed the older witch reenter the drawing room. Looking over her shoulder, Anna saw Molly holding her wand high in front of her, balancing a huge tray loaded with sandwiches and cake on its tip. She was very red in the face and still very angry-looking.

Most everyone turned and hurried over to her, eager for some food. Anna hesitated, but followed after them, glancing back only once to see Harry was staying with her father, who was still studying the tapestry.

Anna sat slowly on the couch next to Fred. All the others had already grabbed a sandwich and were gobbling them down, Ron appeared to be on his second.

"You okay?" Fred asked quietly, grabbing a sandwich off the tray and handing it to her.

"He never told me about his brother." she admitted quietly before nibbling a bit of her sandwich. She suddenly wasn't feeling very hungry. He'd been quick to tell Harry about his family, but he'd hardly ever told her anything, just that he hated it here and he hated his family. He'd told her so many stories the previous summer, but they'd mainly been Hogwarts-related, stories about the Marauders and her mum.

She'd never really allowed herself to feel any jealously towards Harry, after all, his childhood seemed to have been a thousand times more horrible than hers. He deserved some fun and happiness now to make up for it, and she genuinely liked him as a person. But now she couldn't help pondering over everything. He'd been allowed on the Quidditch team his first year, while she wasn't. Everyone in school had been quick to want to be his friend, while everyone started out hating her. Her father broke out of Azkaban to protect Harry, not her. Both her parents had readily agreed to letting Harry find out what the Order was doing his first night at Headquarters, while she'd been allowed by default. Overall, her father seemed to care more about Harry than her, and it made her chest physically ache.

Seeming to guess why she was upset, Fred wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, his thumb stroking her shoulder.

"I temporarily forgot you were related to the Malfoys." Ginny noted aloud, looking across the table at Anna.

"Mm. Don't remind me." Anna muttered halfheartedly, resting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder.

Conversation continued around her, but Anna kept to herself, and for once the twins let her be. They comforted her silently. Fred kept his arm around her, and either rubbed her arm or back or played with her hair. George made sure she ate by giving her another sandwich and eventually giving her a slice of cake. She appreciated their effort immensely.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw her father turn away from the tapestry, his hands shoved deep into his pockets He looked forlorn as he gazed around the drawing room. He looked completely miserable. He and Harry were still talking quietly, but Anna didn't feel up to eavesdropping for the first time since entering this house.

Turning to face forward again, Anna continued nibbling on her food.

After several minutes, Molly called Harry and Sirius over to eat, and Anna tried to not tense up as she focused on her food. Her father took a seat in an armchair near her, and when she glanced over at him, she managed to catch a glimpse of him glowering at Fred's arm around her shoulders.

Sighing, Anna rolled her eyes to herself and focused on her food.

XXX

After eating lunch, they focused on cleaning the glass cabinets. It would've been an easy job, except that several of the objects were reluctant to leave. Her father even got bitten by a silver snuffbox. When he deduced there had been Wartcap powder in it, which resulted in his hand developing a crusty covering, Anna and the twins agreed with a mere glance to pocket the object. So, when no one was looking, George wrapped his hand in a cloth for protection and snuck the box into his pocket, which was still filled with doxies.

Kreacher tried to smuggle things from the room in his loin cloth on numerous occasions, but they managed to catch him several times.

They worked on the drawing room again the next day, cleaning and sweeping and dusting as well as decontaminating the room of anything Molly deemed 'undesirable'.

The doorbell rang several times over those couple days, which always lead to Anna's grandmother's portrait shrieking every time. The kids all tried to eavesdrop every time until Molly forced them back to work. Snape came and went a few times, but they hardly ever caught more than a glimpse of him, and McGonagall appeared a couple times.

They finished for the day a couple hours before dinner, so Anna, Ginny, and Hermione took turns taking showers in the bathroom on their floor. After Anna was showered, she changed into clean, comfy clothes and headed straight for the twins' room. They'd planned to meet up there after cleaning to try and get some work done on their joke products.

Knocking three times, Anna pushed the door open. Fred and George were both sitting on Fred's bed, looking like they were counting several of their sweets. They looked up at her and grinned at her as she approached.

"How goes inventory?" she asked, plopping down on George's bed.

"Pretty good." George answered. "We've got 47 Nosebleed Nougats and 51 Fainting Fancies."

"We can probably run another ad in the _Prophet_ tomorrow or something." Fred added, moving the counted sweets into separate boxes.

"Sounds good, though maybe we should consider running ads other places, too, you know? Broaden our audience and all. Plus, I'm fairly sure some Order members still read the _Daily Prophet_ , and I'm pretty sure Remus has seen at least a couple of our ads."

"Good point. We'll have to look into other places to put ads." George nodded thoughtfully.

Anna sighed, leaning back on her hands on the bed. It was nice to just sit and relax after cleaning nearly all day. Her whole body was aching. "We're finishing up the drawing room tomorrow, right?"

Fred groaned loudly, putting the lid on the box and ducking down to slip it under his bed. "Don't mention cleaning. If I never clean a room again, it'll be too soon."

"Tell me about it." George agreed with a grimace. "This has to be one of our worst summers ever, simply because of the cleaning."

"You mean you didn't enjoy wrestling that goblet from the cabinet yesterday?" Anna teased.

"That thing took almost ten minutes to wrestle out of there!" George complained in a whining voice. "And it tried to bite me!"

"Aw, you poor baby." Anna cooed, pouting mockingly at him.

"That's it." George growled playfully, launching himself off the bed and toward her. Anna squealed and leapt from the bed, landing lightly on her feet and running toward the other side of the room. "Fred, grab her!" George exclaimed.

When Anna neared the other bed, Fred stretched an arm out and snagged her around the waist, yanking her down onto the bed. Anna squeaked in surprise when her back hit the mattress. Before she could try to escape, Fred grabbed both her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head, using his free hand to tickle her ribs.

"Ah!" she squealed, trying to wiggle away from him. "Fred, no! Stop it! Don't!"

Fred and George merely laughed at her, George watching the whole thing with endless amusement while Fred continued his assault on her ribs.

"Hey kids, dinner's-" Sirius's voice cut off when he froze in the doorway.

Fred stopped tickling Anna, still chuckling as he turned to look up at the older man.

"Hey, Sirius." George greeted him casually. "Dinner ready?"

Sirius stared at Fred and Anna, who were still in the same position. Fred was leaning over her on the bed, her wrists pinned in his hand. Realizing how it looked, Anna blushed and yanked on her hands to try and get free. Getting the message, Fred released her and sat back, letting her sit up on the bed.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Um, yes, dinner's ready." He seemed to struggle for a moment before he added, "And I don't want to see that kind of behavior again, Fred."

Fred and Anna's mouths fell open slightly as Sirius turned and left the room. George burst out laughing while Fred's cheeks turned a slight red color. Closing his mouth, he reached up and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Well,…that was awkward." he muttered, glancing over at Anna.

"I can't believe him." she muttered, growing frustrated. "Did he honestly think we were doing anything less than innocent with your twin brother sitting on the other bed, watching us?"

"Maybe he thinks you're into that kinky stuff." George joked.

Anna grabbed the pillow from behind Fred and chucked it at George, managing to smack him in the face.

Fred sighed, scooting around so his feet could touch the floor and he could stand up. "Let's just go down to dinner. I doubt your dad's mad or anything. It was just a misunderstanding."

Anna huffed, standing up as well and following her boyfriend from the room, George behind her. "Yeah, well, if he keeps up this whole…anti-boyfriend attitude I might just curse him or something."

The twins chuckled quietly as the three of them made their way down the stairs.

Anna greeted her mother with a quick hug, not wanting to give Wren the chance to notice she was still upset. She then helped set the table before taking a seat between Fred and Tonks.

Anna tried having normal conversations with the other girls, but she could feel her father's eyes burning into her every time he looked at her, and it was making her awkward and twitchy.

When they started passing the food around, Fred handed Anna a bowl of mashed potatoes, quietly whispering, "Relax."

Anna smiled in silent thanks. He could always tell what she was feeling, and she greatly appreciated it. Leaning over, she briefly kissed his cheek before starting to serve herself potatoes.

"Any chance you two could cut back on the PDA?" a voice asked, tight and sarcastic.

Anna blinked as every eye at the table turned to look at her father. He was staring right at her and Fred, though, which lead to everyone else turning to stare at them, as well.

"Wh-we didn't-" Anna stuttered, uncomfortable being the center of attention.

"You're too young to be doing those things, and the things you were doing when I walked into Fred's room earlier." Sirius told her sternly.

Anna gaped at him and turned red as a couple people's mouths fell open.

"We weren't doing anything like th-"

"Either way, you were on top of my daughter in bed." Sirius cut Fred off when he tried to defend himself and Anna. "And I won't be allowing that kind of behavior. I know what teenagers do, and my daughter isn't ready for that."

Anna felt her eyes prick with embarrassed tears as people continued to stare at her, but she also felt the roots of her hair beginning to turn red as anger flooded her veins.

Her hands hit the tabletop with a loud _BANG_.

"Of course I'm not ready for that." she snapped. "Fred and I haven't hardly been dating for seven months! And we've spent all that time in Hogwarts and this bloody house. It's not like we have time to sneak off and snog around here. We're always either cleaning, eating, or sleeping if we're not hanging out with George. And despite your opinion, we don't snog in front of George. And in case you've forgotten, I was raped at fourteen. I'm not exactly going to rush into having sex."

"Anna-" Wren tried to talk, but Anna swept on.

"So you don't have to worry about that, Dad. Fred and I aren't going to end up like you and Mum, pregnant our seventh year!"

With that, Anna spun on her heel and stormed from the room and up the stairs.

The room was left in awkward, tense silence. Several people glanced around the table, unsure if they should talk. The first person to move was Fred. He stood up.

"I'm gonna go talk to her." he muttered to everyone, scooping some beans and a slice of beef onto Anna's plate before waving his wand so both his and her plates would float after him.

"I don't think-" Sirius started to argue.

"Oh, Sirius, stop it!" Wren snapped, her eyes watering as she glared at her husband. "Fred cares about Anna, he's not going to push her into doing anything. Just let him go talk to her!"

Sirius swallowed thickly and nodded to his wife, wrapping his arm around her to rub her back. Fred gave Wren a grateful smile before leaving the room. He walked up the stairs until he came to the girls' bedroom. He knocked on the door, and when no one answered, he pushed the door open and peaked inside.

Anna was sitting on the edge of her bed, her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands.

Fred shut the door behind him and waved his wand so both plates came to rest on the bedside table that sat between Anna's bed and Ginny's.

"Hey." he whispered, sitting on the bed next to her and resting his hand on her back.

"Are they all talking about how crazy I am?" she mumbled into her hands.

"Um, well, no, no, actually no one talked for a while after you left." he admitted.

"I ruined dinner." she groaned.

"No, you didn't." Fred assured her, pulling her into his side. "You got sick of your dad being weird about us. Anyone would. You just…couldn't take it anymore. Or something."

"I snapped." she muttered, sitting up and leaning into his side. "I went insane and embarrassed myself in front of both our families and several Order members."

"Well,…technically it was just family and extended family if you think about it." Fred pointed out. Anna turned and looked up at him with a dull expression, not appreciating the comment. Fred merely leaned down and pecked a short, sweet kiss to her lips.

"What's going through your head right now?" he asked quietly.

"I just…I don't know. I feel bad for some of the things I said…Merlin, I can't believe I said that about my mum!" she groaned, her hands going back up to cover her face.

"Hey, come on. We can worry about that later." Fred assured her, using his own hands to pull hers from her face. "What else? Talk to me, Anna."

Anna sniffed, looking up at him. "I still feel angry at him." she admitted. "I mean, all summer he's been frustrating, always having to watch us. But today…what he said to you in your guys' room, and then calling us out at the dinner table in front of everyone…I'm just so mad at him. I mean, does he honestly think we'd…I mean, in this house? With both our families in every room?"

"He's just protective of you." Fred whispered, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

"This is way more than being protective." she retorted. "This is going too far. It's like he can't trust me."

"I'm sure that's not it. More likely, it's probably me he doesn't trust." Fred told her.

"And he has no reason not to!" she exclaimed. "You've known me for years, you've been there for me, protected me. Mum even said you and George are a lot like him and the Marauders when they were in school."

"Maybe that's part of the problem." Fred shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked, confused.

"Well, apart from being a huge troublemaker and prankster, he did get your mum pregnant at seventeen, as you pointed out." Fred reminded her. "Maybe that's what he's worried about."

Anna groaned, turning to face forward, staring across the room. "I hate it when you have a point." she muttered.

"I know." Fred grinned proudly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm still mad at him." she admitted.

"Well, how about we eat our dinner up here, then. I brought it up with me." Fred suggested, pointing to where their plates were.

Anna stared at the plates for several moments. She noticed her plate had her favorites of the food served that night. And it had the perfect servings for her. She knew she hadn't done more than serve herself some potatoes, so Fred must've put the beans and beef on it for her. It didn't seem like much, probably just instinct to him, but it was so sweet of him.

And just like that, Anna turned around to face Fred, cupped his cheeks in her hands, and planted her lips firmly on his. She felt him start in shock before he cupped her head in one hand, his other going to the small of her back.

Anna pulled herself closer to him, one hand moving to the back of his neck. Her fist instinctively clenched around the short strands of hair, causing Fred to groan. Both his hands moved to her waist and pulled her onto his lap.

When her chest started burning from lack of oxygen, Anna reluctantly pulled away. She gasped in shock when she felt Fred's warm, soft lips on her neck, pressing open-mouthed kisses up her neck to the spot under her jaw. Anna swallowed down a whimper, her fist pulling more on Fred's hair.

Fred's hands suddenly moved to under her thighs and she was lifted up as he stood. He then turned them and suddenly, Anna's back was on the bed.

She watched Fred slowly crawl over her, one of his hands sliding into her hair. He pulled her head up so they could kiss again and Anna's arms wrapped around his neck. Fred's hand slid down to brush her neck and shoulder at the same moment he shifted and his hips brushed hers.

Anna flinched and tensed, her body preparing for searing pain as voices and images flashed through her mind.

 _Her body being pinned to the ground._

 _Flint's evil smirk from his position between her legs._

 _Then searing, tearing pain deep inside her very core as her voice screamed in agony._

"Anna. Anna!" a familiar voice echoed through the haze of Anna's mind, a familiar, gentle touch on her cheek.

Blinking her eyes open, unsure when she'd closed them in the first place, Anna found herself looking up at Fred's worried face.

"You're okay, Anna. I'm sorry. You're safe, I'd never hurt you." he assured her, his thumb still stroking her cheek.

Anna swallowed thickly, glancing around the room. Realization seeped in and she quickly covered her face with her hands.

"No, Anna, don't do that." Fred told her gently, trying to pry her hands from her face.

"I'm sorry. I don't-I didn't-"

"I know, I know. You're okay." Fred told her, one hand stroking the top of her head. "Can I hold you?" he asked gently.

Despite her humiliation, being held by Fred sounded really nice. So, Anna nodded twice before feeling herself being lifted gently off the bed with one arm under her back and another under her legs. A couple seconds later, she was sitting sideways on Fred's lap and leaning into his chest.

"I'm sorry." she mumbled, snuggling her head into his chest.

"Don't be." Fred mumbled into the top of her head, kissing her hair.

"I just…I think my brain and my body think that…if someone's on top of me I should be ready for pain." she whispered. "Because of Flint…you know."

"I know. I should've thought of that, I'm sorry." Fred told her guiltily.

"No, it's not your fault." she told him, shaking her head.

"I know, but still. I want to protect you and I can't protect you from your memories, and I hate it." Fred told her, tightening his arms around her slightly. "I love you so much, and I hate seeing you like that."

Anna's breath caught in her throat, her hands slowly pulling away from her face. She hesitantly turned her face up to look up at him. When she did, he looked down at her and kissed her forehead.

"Did you just say…?"

Fred looked confused before realization flashed in his eyes. He smiled sheepishly. "Oh, right. I probably should've found a better time to say it, but…yeah. I love you. I told you I'd tell you when I did."

"I know that, but…"

"You don't have to say it back, remember? I won't make you-"

"But I do." she interrupted. "I mean, I do love you. I love you." she continued hurriedly, stumbling over her words. She hadn't completely realized her feelings for Fred had evolved to that extent until that second, but it was true. She did love him.

Fred must've heard her sincerity, because he grinned at her and peppered kisses to her cheek, making her small smile grow. She quickly leaned up and placed a soft kiss against his smiling lips.

After a few moments, he groaned and pulled away. "We should really start eating our dinner. I mean, you did kinda swear to everyone at the table that we _don't_ sneak off and snog. If they walk in, they'll know what a liar you are." he added teasingly.

Anna laughed, sliding off his lap and onto the edge of the bed. "Good point."

She grabbed their plates and handed Fred's to him and they scooted around so they could eat leaning back against Anna's pillow. After about fifteen minutes, they'd both eaten their food and Anna was just sitting there, glancing between her empty plate and her closed door. Fred noticed this and, after watching her for a few minutes, spoke.

"You nervous about going down there?" he asked gently.

"Only…a lot." she admitted with a nervous chuckle.

"You'll be fine. If you want, we can avoid everyone else and just go straight to the kitchen to drop off our plates. But I really think you should talk to your mom." Fred told her quietly.

Anna sighed, looking back down at her plate again. "I know. I guess…I'm just afraid she's angry at me for what I said. Or worse; hurt. I couldn't live with myself knowing I'd hurt her."

"Everybody says things they don't mean sometimes." Fred assured her, slipping his arm around her shoulders. "The important thing is that you make sure she knows you didn't mean it, and you make it up to her."

Anna smiled sadly, looking over at him. "When'd you get so wise?" she asked lightly.

"When I was born." Fred answered seriously before cracking a smirk.

Anna laughed, shaking her head before sitting up. "Well, no point putting it off. The sooner we take our dishes down, the sooner we can meet up with George and work on those Puking Pastilles."

"And that's why I love you." Fred teased, leaning up to kiss the side of her head before climbing off the bed. "I'll walk ahead of you and make sure we don't run into anyone you want to avoid. Sound good?"

"Thanks." Anna smiled guiltily as she, too, stood up and headed toward the door.

Fred walked a few paces ahead of her, and they luckily didn't run into anyone. It seemed like everyone had congregated in other rooms. She'd caught a glimpse of several people in the drawing room as they were leaving her bedroom. When they reached the ground floor, Anna waited while Fred went down into the kitchen.

He returned not even a second later. "It's just our moms. You could talk to Wren now, if you'd like." he told her cautiously.

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, Anna nodded and followed him down the stairs.

The kitchen was mostly empty when they reached the foot of the stairs. Her mum was sitting at the dinner table, talking to Molly over what looked like tea, and the dishes were washing themselves in the sink.

Her throat closed for a moment before she swallowed and then cleared her throat. The two witches at the table turned to look at her. They both gave her small smiles.

Taking another breath, Anna stepped closer until she stopped next to the table. "Mum,…I'm sorry for what happened. And I'm really sorry for what I said about you. I didn't mean it and I didn't mean to drag you into it."

Wren smiled softly up at her before standing up from her seat. It was a bit of a struggle with her big belly, but Fred quickly offered her a hand to help steady her.

"Thank you, Fred." she told him with a smile before turning to her daughter. "And Anna, I get it. From what I've heard, your father's been acting a bit…harsh toward you and Fred this summer." she said, leaning down and hugging Anna tightly for a moment before pulling away, her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "I wish I'd known about it sooner. I would've spoken to him. But don't worry too much, okay? Remus is talking to him in the drawing room right now, convincing him to come home with me for the night. I'll talk to him then, okay?"

"Okay." Anna nodded. "Thanks, Mum."

XXX

The next morning, after a quick breakfast, Molly had them begin cleaning the dining room, since all that needed to be done in the drawing room was for Moody to check the writing desk. When they got around to cleaning the dresser in the dining room, they found spiders the size of saucers. Ron hurriedly left the room to make a cup of tea, and Anna was half tempted to follow him.

Sirius returned to 12 Grimmauld Place as Molly was serving lunch in the kitchen. He carefully glanced around the room before meeting Anna's eyes as she glanced up at him. He looked very uncomfortable, rocking back and forth on his feet with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Finally, he jerked his head, silently gesturing for her to follow him.

Anna struggled to swallow past the lump in her throat as she stood and followed her father from the room. They went up the stairs and Anna soon found herself entering the drawing room.

Sirius crossed the room and sat stiffly on one of the couches. Anna hesitated for a second before following him and sitting next to him, her back ramrod straight as she sat tensely.

After a few moments, her father leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, his hands linked in front of him.

"So," he finally spoke after several long moments of tense silence, "your mother and I talked last night."

"Really." Anna murmured, looking at the floor.

"About a few things…Like your relationship with Fred,…and how I've been acting lately."

Anna risked a glance over at her father, who was staring thoughtfully ahead of him. It almost looked like a night away from his childhood house had done him some good. He had a little color in his cheeks and the bags under his eyes had diminished.

"Oh?" she finally asked when he went silent again.

He finally sighed, closing his eyes and running a hand through his long hair.

"I'm sorry for how I've been acting." he said sincerely, finally looking over at her. "I do really like Fred. Him and George have been one of the few sources of comic relief in this hellhole. And I can see that he genuinely cares about you. Not only from the stories I've heard, but from the way I've personally seen him treat you. I have nothing against him. If anyone were to… _date_ you," he added with mild dislike, "I'd prefer it be him."

Anna nodded slowly, giving him a small smile.

"I guess," he continued, "the main reason I didn't like you having a boyfriend is…well, I missed twelve years of your life. I know you're of age, but to me…I'm still catching up. You're still my little girl."

Anna's smile widened the tiniest bit as she scooted closer on the couch. Sirius lifted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. Anna tucked her feet up under her so she could snuggle into her father's side.

"I don't mind being your little girl." she told him, resting her head on his shoulder. "But you can trust Fred. He's my best friend. And I don't have to tell you everything he's done for me, because I've done it dozens of times. But the last thing you need to worry about is, well…Fred pressuring me for anything." Her cheeks flared up at the topic, but she needed her dad to understand.

Sirius sighed, turning to kiss the top of her head. "I know. I do trust the both of you. It's just…hard to think about sometimes. That you're grown up. I mean, as you pointed out, you're only months away from the age your mother was when I got her pregnant. I just can't imagine you in that position so soon."

Anna blushed again. "You have nothing to worry about, Dad. I can't see myself being in that situation any time soon. It's not physically possible."

Sirius cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Good. Good." he muttered. They were quiet for a moment before Sirius turned to look down at her again. "Is there anything else you'd like to talk about while we're here?" he asked gently.

Anna chewed her lip nervously, resting her head on his shoulder. She wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about all the things bothering her. She didn't want to upset him, but she also would like to have things out in the open.

"Belle?" he asked gently, tilting his head to look down at her.

Anna sighed. "I just…I don't want to upset you or anything. It's not that big of a deal, and you've already got a lot on your mind."

"Anna, that doesn't mean I don't have time for you." Sirius told her gently. "You're my daughter. I want you to talk to me. I'll admit, we haven't done a lot of that lately, but I want to. Please."

Anna sighed again, but this time in defeat. "Okay. Um,…well, I suppose to start…I might be kinda,…sorta,…a little bit…jealous…" she muttered.

Sirius's brows furrowed in confusion as he looked down at her. "Jealous? What could you possibly be jealous of?"

Anna continued chewing on her lip, peaking up at her father from under her eyelashes. Finally, she mumbled something unintelligible.

"Come again?" Sirius asked in confusion.

"Harry." she finally whispered.

"You're jealous of _Harry_?" Sirius repeated in surprise. "But-"

"I know! I know!" she exclaimed, covering her face with her hands for a moment before they fell to her lap again. "Harry's been through so many horrible things that I really have no reason to be jealous. But it's just…"

Sirius waited for her to speak again, but she seemed hesitant to do so. Tightening his arm around her shoulders, his kissed the top of her head. "What, Anna?" he asked gently.

"You like him better than me." she whispered quietly, almost hoping he wouldn't hear.

"What?" he laughed in disbelief. "That's ridiculous!"

Anna ducked her head slightly so he couldn't see her face and Sirius's slight smile fell. He used his free hand to tilt her chin up so he could look into her glistening gray eyes.

"Anna…I don't like Harry better than you. I care about him, yes, but I care about you differently. You're my daughter. I love you. When I was in Hogwarts, I wasn't even sure I wanted a family or children, because I was scared I'd end up like my parents. But when your mother told me we were having a baby…I already knew I loved you. I knew I could never treat you the way my parents treated me. I loved you before you were even born, and the first time I held you in my arms was the best day of my life."

Anna smiled shyly, her head lowered as she leaned her head on his shoulder again.

"You have no reason to be jealous, Darling. I love you. What even made you think I loved Harry more?"

"Well,…you treat him better. You let him ask questions about the Order his first night here, and you told him about your brother but you didn't tell me."

Sirius sighed heavily, nodding his head. "I guess…I guess I have given Harry some special treatment. I guess it's more because…well, Molly was onto something that night at dinner. When I see Harry, I see James. I suppose I think he can handle more than he really can. But you're my daughter, so I'm _much_ more protective of you."

Anna rolled her eyes, smiling as she nudged her elbow against his ribs. He laughed loudly, making her smile widen.

"And I didn't tell you about my brother, or any of my family, really, because you never asked. I would've told you if you asked, I just never thought you'd want to hear about all that."

"I guess I didn't think of that." Anna admitted. "So,…could you tell me now?"

"About Regulus, or my childhood in general?"

"Hmm. Both." Anna decided after thinking about it.

"Alright. Well, Regulus was born a couple years after me…"


	4. Baby Black

With her relationship with her father on the mend and better than ever, Annabelle actually found life in 12 Grimmauld Place tolerable. The evening they talked, they spent the whole evening curled up on the drawing room couch, Sirius telling her stories of his childhood. Though the stories were often sad, disturbing, and flat out disgusting, Anna loved it because she could feel their relationship deepening. She was reaching an understanding with her father, about how he ended up the way that he did.

The next day, Tonks actually joined them in their cleaning, though Anna had no clue why she'd willing stick around to clean. They ended up finding a murderous old ghoul hiding in the toilet.

On Wednesday evening, Anna plopped down at the table for dinner, rubbing her shoulder and neck with one hand. She was sore and achy from cleaning the bathroom floor and behind the toilet and sink. Everything ached and she was very much looking forward to a long night of sleep in a comfy bed.

George passed her a bowl after scooping some stew into it. She thanked him and sat down with her stew, bread, and mixed vegetables. She was instantly pulled into a conversation about Quidditch with the twins, Ron, Harry, and Ginny.

Suddenly, Molly turned to speak quietly to Harry from a few seats down. "I've ironed your best clothes for tomorrow morning, Harry, and I want you to wash your hair tonight too. A good first impression can work wonders."

Silence fell over the table, Anna and the others turning to look at Harry. He nodded and seemed to struggle to speak for a moment.

"How am I getting there?" he asked casually, though Anna could tell he struggled to force the words out.

"Arthur's taking you to work with him." Molly said gently, to which Arthur smiled encouragingly at Harry. "Of course, Sirius is insisting on coming, as well, if you're okay with that." Molly added, not sounding quite as pleased with the last bit of information.

"You can both wait in my office with me until it's time for the hearing." Arthur added.

"Okay." Harry nodded with a small smile, looking relieved as he glanced at his godfather.

XXX

By the time Anna had woken up and gone downstairs for breakfast with the other kids, Harry, Sirius, and Arthur had already left for the hearing. Anna couldn't do much more than nibble on toast and scrambled eggs as she worried over the hearing. Then, a thought occurred to her.

"Dumbledore's not Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot anymore, right?" she questioned to the room at large, but mostly her mother and Molly at the counter. Her mother, who was days away from her due date, refused not to be at the house to see Harry off for his hearing.

Wren glanced at Molly before looking over her shoulder at her daughter. "No, he was demoted. Why?"

"But then…he was the Chief Warlock at my trial, right?" she pointed out hesitantly, unsure about bringing her own trial up. "Who's it going to be for Harry's trial?"

Molly looked very frustrated. "Probably the Minister." she admitted grudgingly.

Well, now Anna was really worried.

To make matters worse, a little while after 8 in the morning, a Ministry owl arrived with a letter from a man named Perkins, who Molly explained was a coworker of Arthur's.

As she read the letter, it was clear to see the worry growing in her expression.

"Molly. What is it? Is Arthur alright?" Wren asked worriedly.

"They changed Harry's hearing to 8:00 this morning." Molly announced, her eyes flying to the clock across the room even though she must've known it was past that time by now. "And they changed the location. It's in Courtroom Ten now."

"But…that courtroom's never used." Wren pointed out in confusion.

"I think it should be fairly obvious why they'd do it." Anna pointed out bitterly. "The Minister's obviously behind all this. He purposefully moved the time and place of the trial at the last minute so it would be impossible for Harry to get there on time."

Everyone glanced anxiously around at each other, knowing she was probably right.

"Well,…the Minister didn't consider Harry already being in the Ministry this early in the morning." Molly pointed out, sounding like she was trying to be optimistic. "With luck, Arthur will have gotten word about this and will have gotten Harry there on time."

Molly's hopeful words did little to calm everyone's nerves, though.

Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long. Arthur, Sirius, and Harry returned to 12 Grimmauld Place a little while later, announcing loudly that Harry had been cleared of all charges.

"I knew it!" Ron shouted, punching the air while everyone else cheered. "You always get away with stuff!"

Hermione, who had been sitting anxiously at the table, covered her face with trembling hands. "They were bound to clear you. There was no case against you, none at all…"

Harry was smiling widely around at them. "Everyone seems quite relieved, though, considering they all knew I'd get off."

Molly wiped her face on her apron, but Anna was distracted by someone bumping into her. Looking over her shoulder, she burst out laughing. Fred, George, and Ginny were doing a strange kind of war dance, chanting, _"He got off, he got off, he got off-"_

Arthur was also smiling as he shouted, "That's enough, settle down!"

Sirius moved through the kitchen to his wife's side, wrapping an arm around her waist and looking down with a surprisingly serious face. Anna was just close enough to hear him over her friends' chanting.

"We saw Lucius Malfoy at the Ministry."

"What?" Wren asked in shock, looking up at him while Anna stepped a little closer to hear better.

"We saw him talking to Fudge on level nine, and then they went up to Fudge's office together."

"We ought to tell Dumbledore next time he stops by." Arthur added, moving closer to the other adults in the room.

Anna wasn't sure if they said anything else important, because suddenly an arm was looped through hers and she was yanked into a war dance with the twins and Ginny. She laughed, unable to hear anything over the continued chanting, but she didn't care at the moment.

Lunch was served shortly after, and Anna dragged Ginny, Fred, and George to the table to sit down, but the three Weasleys were still singing very loudly.

Anna couldn't hear much of the conversation, or what Molly was saying to Ron as she set a plate of roast chicken on the table.

 _"HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF-"_ they were still singing.

"SHUT UP!" Molly finally bellowed.

XXX

Anna felt herself being shaken awake, someone whispering her name. Blinking her eyes open, she found herself looking into an aged face surrounded by brown, graying hair.

"Remus?" she mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eye with her fist as she glanced around the room. It was still dark, the night sky visible in the window, and Ginny and Hermione were still sleeping in their beds. "What-What's going on?"

"Your father just Flooed the house." Remus explained. Anna's father had been sleeping at home nearly every night for the past few days so Wren wasn't alone when her water eventually broke.

"What?" Anna whispered, propping herself up on her elbow. "Is Mum okay?"

Remus smiled softly. "She'll be fine, but her water broke. Sirius Flooed the house to let me know what's happening, and he's probably got her to St. Mungos by now."

"So,…should we go? Do you want me to get dressed quick?" Anna asked quickly, remembering to keep her voice down as she slowly sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Well, that's up to you. The baby probably won't be here for another several hours, it could even take all day. If you want, I can let you go back to sleep and we can go in the morning. You'd probably just be spending the time sitting in the waiting room, anyway." Remus explained. "I just figured you'd like the choice."

Anna sighed quietly through her nose, nodding slowly as she thought it over. On the one hand, the thought of sitting in an uncomfortable waiting room chair for several hours didn't sound appealing, but on the other hand she wasn't sure she could go back to sleep knowing her little brother was about to enter the world.

Glancing over at the big clock on the wall, she saw that it wasn't even midnight yet. She'd only gone to sleep a couple hours ago. Her baby brother would most likely be born sometime on August 15th.

Sighing heavily, she turned back to Remus. "I don't know. I doubt I'll be able to go back to sleep, but I don't want to sit in a uncomfortable chair for several hours, either. Is that rude of me?" she asked guiltily.

Remus chuckled quietly. "Not at all. We could hang out in the drawing room for a few hours, if you'd like. Maybe you'll be able to doze off a little. And if Sirius has any updates, he'll Floo us from the fireplace in there. Sound like a plan?"

Anna nodded with a smile, slipping out of her bed and pulling on her bathrobe before tiptoeing across the hall to the drawing room.

Anna and Remus curled up on a couch near the fireplace, drinking tea that Remus made, for a couple hours. Anna eventually did doze off like Remus predicted, but she woke up again around six in the morning.

"Can we go to St. Mungos now?" she asked Remus, yawning as she stretched her arms over her head.

Remus glanced up at the clock and nodded slowly. "Yeah, we could head over there if you want. I'll just let Molly and Arthur know real quick while you get dressed."

"Okay." Anna agreed, hurrying quietly across the hall to the girls' bedroom. She pulled out some quick, comfy clothes of worn jeans and her Weasley jumper.

"Anna?"

Glancing over her shoulder, Anna saw Hermione sitting up in bed, her curls crazier than normal with a bed head look.

"What are you doing? It's still early."

"My mum's going into labor soon or something. Remus and I are going to St. Mungos." Anna explained quietly so as not to wake Ginny.

Hermione's eyes widened slightly. "Oh. Okay. Well,…congratulations? I expect Molly will take us over later to visit or something."

"Probably, knowing her." Anna agreed with a small smile. "Well, you should try and get a few more hours of sleep. I'll see you later."

Anna quickly went to the bathroom and changed while in there before hurrying back to the drawing room. Remus was waiting for her there.

"I told Molly and Arthur. They said they'll probably join us with the kids sometime after breakfast or something." Remus told her as he grabbed a handful of Floo powder.

They went through the fireplace together and stepped out into a crowded St. Mungos corridor. Anna followed Remus closely as he approached the receptionist desk.

"Hello." he greeted the young witch behind the counter. She looked maybe a few years older than Anna. "We're here for Wren and Sirius Black. Wren's having her baby."

"Of course." she agreed cheerfully, looking down at some papers. "The Healers believe she'll be going into labor shortly. But it may be a couple hours before the baby's born. If you'll take a seat in the waiting room right through here, someone will come and get you when it's time." she told them, gesturing to the waiting room with her hand.

Remus nodded once with a smile. "Thank you." he said before leading Anna back to the waiting room, where they took a seat near the corner.

"More waiting." Anna sighed, slouching in her seat as Remus chuckled at her. They talked casually for about half an hour before Remus asked her if she was hungry.

Her stomach growled, making her cover it with her arms and laughed sheepishly. "Um,…maybe a little." she admitted.

Remus laughed, shaking his head at her. "Well, I'm sure I can find the cafeteria quick enough. Anything in particular you want me to pick up?"

"Mm." Anna glanced past him, her eyes landing on something. "Probably nothing better than that." she answered, nodding past him. Remus looked over his shoulder to see Molly and Harry heading toward them, Molly carrying a paper bag that smelled heavenly, even from several feet away.

"Morning, Molly, Harry. You're here rather early." Remus greeted her and Harry with a smile, which both returned.

"Of course. As soon as I fixed everyone breakfast, I hurried over. Harry, of course, wanted to come along. A few of the others wanted to come, too, but I figured a huge crowd isn't really something we need. Tonks might stop by in a while, but that's it. And I brought you two some breakfast."

Molly passed the paper bag to Remus. He reached in and pulled out something wrapped in paper before passing the bag to Anna. She pulled out a replica and unwrapped the paper to find an egg sandwich.

"Thank you, Molly." Anna told her with a grateful smile before taking her first bite. It was delicious.

Harry sat on Anna's other side while Molly sat next to Remus.

"So, has there been any news?" Molly asked curiously.

"Hmm. Nothing since we got here. The receptionist said Wren should be going into labor soon." Remus answered.

"And still no one knows what this baby is going to be named?" Molly asked in exasperation.

Remus chuckled. "Nope. They've kept pretty quiet on that one."

The next hour was pretty boring. Tonks did indeed arrive and helped entertain Harry and Anna by telling them stories of some of her Auror work.

Finally, a Healer approached them in the waiting room.

"Are you all here for Mr. and Mrs. Black?" he asked politely.

"We are." Remus answered, standing up from his chair. "Has she had the baby? Are they all alright?"

"Everyone's perfectly fine." the Healer assured them with a warm smile. "She had a healthy baby boy, 7lb 9oz. Would you all like to come see them?"

"Are they fine with all of us visiting?" Molly asked curiously.

"Mr. Black said 'the more, the merrier'. So, you're all welcome. This way, please." he told them, gesturing for them to follow as he lead the way down the corridor. Anna, Harry, and Tonks exchanged excited looks before getting up from their chairs and hurrying after the two adults.

They entered a room, and as soon as Anna got a look inside, she saw her mother propped up in a bed, her father sitting in a chair next to her head, his hands stroking her hair back from her sweaty forehead. They were both smiling down at the little bundle wrapped in blue that Wren was cradling in her arms.

They looked up and smiled at their guests as they all approached the bed.

"Oh, he's so precious!" Molly cooed when she reached the bed first. "Anna, Harry, come up here. You should meet him first." she ordered belatedly, waving the two school-aged guests ahead of her.

Anna stepped forward with Harry, coming to a stop near her mother's head. She returned Wren's smile before her eyes moved to the little baby cradled in her arms.

His skin was a creamy white, his cheeks chubby and a little rosy. He was looking around at his guests with big, green eyes, and on his head was a sprinkling of downy, black hair.

"He's so little." Anna whispered in awe.

"Mhm." Wren hummed, looking down at her son. "Anna, Harry, meet your new little brother. Aslan Alphard Black." she introduced quietly.

"Hi Aslan." Anna whispered, reaching over and tickling his cheek with her finger. His skin was like silk. "Alphard?" she repeated after a moment, glancing at her father curiously. The name was familiar.

Sirius smiled at her. "After my uncle. 'Bout the only family member I wouldn't mind naming him after. And it's the least I can do in my uncle's memory. Your mum wanted to name him Aslan Sirius, but…" He shrugged, turning his smile back to his son and gently running a hand over the baby's small head. Anna got the sense he wouldn't have minded the other name, but he more wanted to repay his uncle for showing him kindness when he'd ran away.

"Aslan. Such a perfect name." Molly cooed over Anna and Harry's shoulders.

"Means 'lion' if I remember correctly." Remus noted with a smile, moving around the bed to stand next to his best friend. "Hoping he'll be in Gryffindor?" he asked, smirking jokingly at Sirius.

Sirius returned the smirk. "Of course."

"But we'll love him no matter what House he gets in." Wren pointed out firmly, shooting her husband a look. "Besides, we have eleven years before we need to worry about that. How about we just focus on him sleeping through the night first, okay?"

Sirius chuckled, kissing his wife on top of the head. "Yes, love."

"And the other thing we talked about?" she urged, looking up at her husband.

"Ah, yes." Sirius instantly turned and looked up at his best friend, who was still standing next to his chair. "What do you say to being Aslan's Godfather, Moony?"

Remus's head snapped down to stare at Sirius in shock before he looked at Wren with the same look. Anna watched the whole exchange with a smile on her face.

"Are you sure?" Remus asked quietly, looking unable to believe it.

"Of course." Wren answered instantly. "You're family, and this little one will need your common sense to balance out Sirius' lack of common sense. This way, you're stuck with us."

Remus smiled, chuckling quietly as his eyes glistened ever-so-slightly. "I'd be honored." he finally whispered.

"Good." Sirius clapped him on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Remus." Wren told him with a warm smile. Her eyes moved to Anna, Molly, and Harry. "Would any of you like to hold Aslan?"

Anna's eyes went wide and she unconsciously stepped back. "Um, well, I'm sure Molly would like to." she mumbled.

"You don't need to be nervous, sweetie." Wren assured her. "He's your little brother. You'll need to get comfortable around him, you know."

"Yeah…I know." Anna admitted, looking at her baby brother nervously. "But what if he cries?"

Wren and Molly chuckled. "Babies cry, Anna. That doesn't mean he doesn't like you." her mother assured her.

"He might've pooped." Sirius pointed out with a small smirk.

Anna fought a smile, rolling her eyes at her dad.

Remus waved his wand, making a chair scoot across the room next to the bed. Anna carefully sat down in it while Wren passed the baby to Sirius. Anna's eyes fixed on her father's face as he carried Aslan around the bed. He was looking down at his son with a look similar to the one he had when looking at her, but different at the same time. He looked loving, awestruck, and proud as he gazed down at his son.

Finally, his eyes moved to her as he stopped in front of her. He gave her the same smile, and she returned it with her own.

Molly helped show her what to do with her arms before Sirius set Aslan in the cradle of her arms.

Anna was almost afraid to breathe at the slight weight in her arms. Aslan moved his head around, looking about until he looked up at her. He didn't cry, just stared up at her with slightly squinted eyes. His tiny fist was in his mouth, a bit of drool on his chin.

There was a flash and Anna looked up. Tonks grinned at her, a camera up near her face.

"You'll thank me later. I couldn't resist." she stated bluntly.

The others chuckled while Anna just smiled and looked back down at her brother. All the nerves and worry that she'd be replaced or jealous of him disappeared. Babies needed a lot of attention, and she was sure he'd get a lot of attention in general. But after her talk with her dad over the summer, she felt sure she wouldn't be replaced, not by Harry, and not by Aslan. Her family had enough love for all of them.

XXX

"Oh, Anna, look how big you've gotten!" Anna's grandma Ethel exclaimed as soon as Anna opened the front door the next day.

"Hi, Grandma." Anna smiled, letting the short, elderly woman squeeze the life out of her. Ethel had gray hair that was in a bun at the nape of her neck, and her sun-kissed skin was loose and wrinkled, laugh lines and crows feet lightly creasing her face.

After being nearly crushed to death, Anna released her grandma and gestured her into the house. Ethel bustled quickly into the house, and she was followed by her husband, Winthrop, and other daughter, Kendra.

"Hello, darling." Winthrop bent to hug Anna tightly, lifting her onto her tiptoes before setting her back down and looking down at her, his hands on her shoulders. "Look at how beautiful you are."

Anna blushed and looked at her feet. "Thank you, Grandpa. Mum should be down in a minute." she added to everyone.

"Ah, good, you're all here." Anna was somewhat relieved when her dad entered the room. Harry was following him.

Ethel and Kendra had decided to stop by to stay for a few days to help Wren with the baby, and it had been agreed that it would look strange if Sirius, Anna, and Harry weren't at the house at least part of the time.

"Hi, Aunt Kendra." Anna greeted her aunt, who was the last to enter the house, setting down three suitcases, which Anna guessed were charmed to be light and easy to carry. "How're Audra and Wilson?" she asked, referring to her cousins.

"They're wonderful, thank you." Kendra told her with a smile. "Audra starts Hogwarts this September."

"That's right. Is she excited?"

"Of course." Kendra rolled her eyes slightly in amusement. "Wilson's horribly jealous of her, though. He keeps saying he could do just as well as her if he went to Hogwarts this year, too."

That didn't surprise Anna in the slightest. Her cousins, Audra and Wilson, were both slightly spoiled.

"Mum! Dad! Kendra!" Wren's excited voice called as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs, carrying Aslan in her arms.

"Oh, Wren, darling!" Ethel hurried forward and hugged Wren, careful of her daughter's bundle, before pulling away and looking at the baby. "Oh, and this must be Aslan! He's so precious!"

"He's got your eyes, Wren." Winthrop added, having joined his wife in greeting his youngest daughter.

"I know, but I'm glad he looks like Sirius." Wren pointed out.

Ethel and Winthrop nodded, though Anna noticed they changed the subject and instead asked where everyone would be sleeping. Anna suspected they liked her dad well enough, but it was probably awkward given they'd thought he was a murderer for several years.

Sirius set up the living room for Anna and Harry to sleep in. Then Anna's room was set up for two of the three guests, while a bed was also placed in Aslan's bedroom, so people could take turns getting up with Aslan in the night.

XXX

The following two weeks were more of the same, for the most part. Anna's aunt and grandparents only stayed for about a week after Aslan was born and then went back to their homes and lives. However, while they were staying with the Blacks, Kendra's husband, Colton, stopped by a few times. He was nice enough, especially for a Slytherin, but it was clear that him and Kendra didn't believe that Voldemort was back, which made for some tension. Anna also suspected her grandparents sided with Kendra and Colton, but they weren't openly rude about it, and it was mostly because they didn't want Voldemort to be back.

As soon as they all went back to their homes, Anna and Harry returned to Grimmauld Place. Anna went back to helping the twins with their products, and they made dozens of sales through their mail orders. They also had plenty of spare time, since they'd finished cleaning Grimmauld Place weeks ago.

While Sirius came to the house daily, he wasn't there as often as he'd been before Aslan was born. He mostly chose to stay at home with Wren and Aslan, and he only allowed Wren to come to Grimmauld Place once in a rare while.

Anna used a very carefully aimed Severing Charm with her wand to slice the batch of Ton-Tongue Toffee they'd just made.

"School lists finally arrived." Fred announced, entering the room with three pieces of parchment. George paused in packaging the pieces Anna had already cut, reaching out a hand for his school list. Fred handed it to him before sitting next to Anna on his bed and passing hers to her.

"'Bout time. We go to school tomorrow. Can't get anymore 'last minute' than that. Bet Mum's pleased." George commented.

Anna looked hers over. As expected, she needed a new _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7_. But her eyes quickly found the only other new book she would need. _Defensive Magical Theory_ by Wilbert Slinkhard.

"Looks like they finally found a new Defense teacher. We've got a new book." she pointed out.

"Hm. Wonder who it is." Fred noted.

"'Defensive Magical Theory'?" George read with dislike, his nose wrinkled. "Sounds boring."

"Let's go ask the others if they know anything." Fred suggested. Then, he and George disappeared with a crack. Anna sighed, rolling her eyes before Apparating to Harry and Ron's room. She ended up a few feet away from the twins, who'd landed on either side of Harry, who was looking at his book list.

"We were just wondering who assigned the Slinkhard book." Fred announced conversationally.

"Because it means Dumbledore's found a new Defense Against the Darks Arts teacher." George added.

"And about time, too." Fred finished.

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked, looking between them.

"Well, we overheard Mum and Dad talking on the Extendable Ears a few weeks back, and from what they were saying, Dumbledore was having real trouble finding anyone to do the job this year."

"Not surprising, is it, when you look at what's happened to the last four?" George pointed out.

"One sacked, one dead, one's memory removed, and one locked in a trunk for nine months." Anna listed, counting off on her fingers.

"What's up with you, Ron?" Fred asked suddenly.

Anna looked around to find the other Weasley. Ron stood frozen, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the letter he got from Hogwarts.

"What's the matter?" Fred asked impatiently, moving around Ron to read the parchment over his shoulder.

Then, Fred's mouth fell open, too.

"Prefect?" he asked, staring incredulously at the letter. " _Prefect_?"

George lunged forward, snatching the envelope from Ron's other hand and turning it upside down. A scarlet and gold badge fell into George's open palm. A large P was superimposed on the Gryffindor lion. Anna's mouth fell open slightly in surprise as it finally hit her.

"No way." George murmured in a hushed tone.

"There's been a mistake." Fred argued, snatching the letter from Ron and holding it up to the light, checking that it was real. "No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect…"

Fred and George turned to stare at Harry, and Anna followed their gazes after a moment.

"We thought you were a cert!" Fred told him in a shocked tone, as if Harry had tricked them.

"We thought Dumbledore was _bound_ to pick you!" George added indignantly.

"Winning the Triwizard and everything!" said Fred.

"I suppose all the mad stuff must've counted against him." George told Fred.

"I don't think-" Anna started quietly, but they didn't hear her.

"Yeah." Fred agreed with George slowly. "Yeah, you've caused too much trouble, mate. Well, at least one of you's got their priorities right."

Fred strode over to Harry and clapped him on the back, giving his younger brother a scornful look.

" _Prefect_ …ickle Ronnie the prefect…"

"Oh, Mum's going to be revolting." George groaned, thrusting the prefect badge at Ron as though it was contagious. Anna snorted, fighting a grin.

Ron still hadn't spoken. He stared down at the badge for a moment. Then, he held it out to Harry silently, his eyes silently begging for confirmation. Harry took the badge and stared down at it. He looked almost as shocked as Ron was.

The door suddenly banged open, making Anna jump as Hermione bolted into the room, her cheeks flushed and curls flying. An envelope was in her hand.

"Did you-did you get-?"

Her eyes landed on the badge in Harry's hand and she shrieked, making Anna and George wince.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed excitedly, showing her own letter. "Me too, Harry, me too!"

"No." Harry said quickly, pushing the badge back into Ron's hand. "It's Ron, not me."

"It-what?"

"Ron's prefect, not me." Harry repeated at Hermione's dumbstruck look. Anna tried not to snicker at the look on her face.

" _Ron?_ " Hermione exclaimed, mouth falling open. "But…are you sure? I mean-" Her face went red as Ron turned to her with a defiant expression.

"It's my name on the letter." he told her.

"I…I…well…wow! Well done, Ron! That's really-"

"Unexpected." George finished for her, nodding. Anna swatted his shoulder, even though she silently agreed.

"No," Hermione argued, face going even darker red, "no, it's not…Ron's done loads of…he's really…"

Lucky for Hermione, the door opened a little wider and Molly backed into the room carrying a load of clean laundry.

"Ginny said the booklists had come at last." she commented, glancing around at all the envelopes in their hands. She headed over to the nearest bed and began sorting the robes into two piles. "If you give them to me I'll take them over to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you're packing. Ron, I'll have to get you more pajamas, there are at least six inches too short. I can't believe how fast you're growing…what color would you like?"

"Get him red and gold to match his badge." George suggested, smirking.

"Match his what?" Molly asked absently, rolling up a pair of socks and placing them in Ron's pile

"His _badge_." Fred emphasized, wanting to get the worst over with. "His lovely shiny new _prefect's badge_."

It took a moment for his words to sink into Molly's preoccupied mind.

"His…but…Ron, you're not…?"

Molly turned to look at Ron, who held up his new badge.

Molly shrieked just like Hermione had, and Anna winced again.

"I don't believe it! I don't believe it! Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That's everyone in the family!"

"What are Fred and I, next-door neighbors?" George asked indignantly while his mother pushed him aside and threw her arms around Ron's neck. Anna patted George's shoulder and took Fred's hand in hers, giving them both a smile.

"Wait until your father hears! Ron, I'm so proud of you, what wonderful news, you could end up Head Boy just like Bill and Percy, it's the first step! Oh, what a thing to happen in the middle of all this worry, I'm just thrilled, oh _Ronnie_ -"

Fred and George both started making loud retching sounds behind their mother's back, causing Anna to fight back her laughter. Molly didn't notice them, her arms tight around Ron's neck as she kissed him all over his face, which was now bright red.

"Mum…don't…Mum, get a grip…" he muttered, trying to push her off him.

She finally let go of him and said breathlessly, "Well, what will it be? We gave Percy an owl, but you've already got one, of course."

"W-what do you mean?" Ron asked, looking hesitantly hopeful.

"You've got to have a reward for this!" Molly told him fondly. "How about a nice new set of dress robes?"

"We've already bought him some." Fred told her sourly, looking like he regretted that decision. Anna knew he couldn't really regret it, though, because getting Ron new dress robes was the one favor Harry had asked of them in return for the money.

"Or a new cauldron, Charlie's old one's rusting through, or a new rat-" Molly continued.

"Mum," Ron interrupted her hopefully, "can I have a new broom?"

Molly's face fell slightly and Anna bit her lip. Brooms were pretty expensive, especially new ones.

"Not a really good one!" Ron added hurriedly. "Just-just a new one for a change…"

Molly hesitated, then smiled.

"Of _course_ you can…Well, I'd better get going if I've got a broom to buy, too. I'll see you all later. Anna, your mother's here, too. She'll be coming with to help me get everything. Would you like to watch Aslan while we're gone, or Sirius could if you'd rather not." Molly turned to add to the older girl.

"I can watch him." Anna hurriedly volunteered. "I'd love to."

"Alright. Well, you can come on down to the kitchen to get him. Your mother's down there with him and Sirius." Turning back to her youngest son, she smiled fondly. "Little Ronnie, a prefect! And don't forget to pack your trunks…A prefect…Oh, I'm all of a dither!"

She kissed Ron one more time on the cheek, sniffled loudly, and hurried from the room.

Fred and George exchanged a look.

"You don't mind if we don't kiss you, do you, Ron?" Fred asked in a falsely anxious voice.

"We could curtsy, if you like." George added.

"Oh, shut up." Ron snapped, scowling at them.

"Or what?" Fred asked with an evil grin. "Going to put us in detention?"

"I'd love to see him try." George sniggered.

Anna grinned, rolling her eyes playfully at the twins before following Molly from the room. She could hear Hermione snap at the twins, but she didn't have time to stick around and keep her best friends in line. She needed to get her little brother.

She hurried down the stairs, and she could faintly hear someone hurrying behind her. When she reached the top of the stairs that lead down into the kitchen, she glanced back to see Ron catching up to her.

"Congratulations." she told him with a smile as she started down the stairs.

"Thanks." he grinned before it faltered. "You're not going to give me problems at school, are you? I'm pretty sure the twins will."

"Yeah, they will. But don't worry. I won't be mean to you." she assured him. "You could just let Hermione handle the twins. I think she could take them on with no problems."

Ron snorted. "Probably."

They reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the kitchen to see Molly pulling her cloak on. Wren was snuggling two week old Aslan close to her chest and kissing his head while Sirius sat at the table, watching his wife and son with a smile.

Ron approached his mum while Anna approached her family.

"Look, Aslan. There's your big sister Anna." Wren cooed to the baby, turning so Aslan's big green eyes landed on Anna. It had become apparent the first couple days after his birth that Aslan wasn't a Metamorphmagus like his big sister, but no one cared about that. He was a cute, healthy baby boy, and that was all that mattered.

"You sure you want to watch him, Belle?" her father checked. "I can watch him while you pack and hang out with your friends."

"You'll get to spend time with Aslan all year, I leave tomorrow and won't see him again until December. I don't want him to forget me." she told him, reaching her hands out. Wren carefully passed him over to Anna, who held him against her chest with one hand under his butt, her other hand on his back to keep him from falling backward.

"We'll be gone for a few hours. Of course, your father will be here if you need any help, okay?" Wren told her.

"I know. I'll watch him in the drawing room. We'll be fine." Anna assured her mother.

"Okay. Love you." Wren said, hugging her daughter, Aslan gently squished between their chests. Wren kissed both her daughter and son on their heads before shrugging on her traveling cloak. Sirius stood up and gave his wife a kiss before Molly and Wren hurried from the house.

Anna grabbed the shoulder bag her mother used for Aslan off the kitchen table, pulling it onto her shoulder with one hand before walking back up the stairs. She entered the drawing room and approached one of the couches near the fireplace, which wasn't burning since it was a warm summer.

Setting the bag on the ground, Anna sat on the floor with her back against the front of the couch. Her knees were bent up, so she gently laid Aslan back against the top of her thighs.

"Hi." she cooed at him. He wiggled a little bit, flailing his little arms around. "Do you want to lay down on the floor? Yeah? Okay, hold on." she told him, keeping one hand on him while using her other hand to fish around in the bag. She found the thick, fluffy blue blanket Molly knitted for him. She shook it out, since she only had one hand, and laid it out on the floor. She had to shift around, but eventually she got the blanket in front of her, spread her legs out on top of it, and gently laid Aslan down on the blanket, being careful of his head as she did so.

"There. Now you can wiggle and squirm all you want and I don't have to worry about dropping you." Anna told him in the familiar baby-voice people tended to use with babies. Aslan just gurgled and blew spit bubbles in response. He continued wiggling around, flailing his arms above his head, which caused his shirt to pull up.

"Look at that little belly." Anna cooed at him, tickling his chubby tummy with her fingers. "And there's your little belly button." she pointed out, gently poking at the little belly button that was now completely healed since his birth, which made him squirm again. "You're just so. Stinking. Cute." she told him, tickling his belly once more before pulling his shirt back down.

There was a loud _CRACK_ behind her, causing Aslan to shriek. Anna quickly shushed him before he could start crying. When he was gazing curiously over her shoulder, she turned and glared at Fred and George.

"Really? Was that necessary?" she asked dryly. She wasn't really mad, but the constant Apparating got a bit annoying.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." George shrugged, grinning at her as he rounded the couch and plopped down on the floor next to her. "Hello there baby Padfoot. How are you today?" he cooed at the baby, making a goofy face that made Anna's annoyance vanish.

"You didn't scare me, I just don't want you to make Aslan cry." Anna told him as Fred sat on the couch, his legs on Anna's other side.

"So you actually like babysitting him all the time?" George asked, turning to look at her again.

"I don't watch him all the time. And as I pointed out to my dad, we leave for school tomorrow. I won't see my brother again until December. I want to get in as much time as I can."

"Fair enough." Fred agreed, his hand playing with Anna's hair.

"Does this mean you don't want to move in with me and Freddie after we leave school?" George asked teasingly.

Anna blushed but rolled her eyes at George. "A lot can change in a year, but with everything going on, and all the uncertainty, I think I'd like to stay with my parents as long as I can. You never know what's around the corner. But we'll see each other all the time. I'll have to pop in and help you guys with your shop when you eventually find a location."

"Very true. But won't you be a busy Ministry worker?" George pointed out in a lightly accusatory tone.

"I'll always make time for you guys." Anna told him as if it were obvious.

"You hear that, Freddie? She'll _always_ make time for us." George repeated to his twin.

Before Anna could turn to see what Fred's expression looked like, she felt him kiss the top of her head, his fingers still running through her hair.

"Never doubted that for a second." Fred murmured, his breath brushing through her hair.

Anna blushed, hiding her smile by lowering her chin. Luckily, Aslan started whimpering and wiggling, looking on the verge of tears. Anna reached into the bag and pulled out a bottle of milk her mum had prepared. Pulling her wand from her pocket, Anna touched the end to the bottle and warmed the milk inside before setting both back on the ground.

"Are you hungry?" she cooed at her brother, slipping one hand under his head to lift and settle him into the crook of her elbow. She then lifted the bottle and held the tip to his mouth. Aslan quickly latched onto the bottle, gulping down his milk hungrily.

She smiled gently, watching her brother drink his milk. George shifted next to her, his elbow propping up on the couch cushion behind her.

"Don't you think Anna'd make a good mum, Freddie?" George asked in a tone Anna couldn't quite place. The question, however, made her blush since it was directed at her boyfriend.

"Shut up, George." Fred told him casually.

"What? I'm just saying. It's a good thing she'd make a good mum, since Weasleys tend to be a fertile br-"

A loud _SMACK_ made Anna look over her shoulder. Fred was glaring at George, who was rubbing the back of his head with a pained grimace. When they both saw her looking at them, they smiled innocently.

Unsure of what to say, Anna slowly turned back to face forward, her eyes fixed on her brother as he continued to feed.

"Anyway, we wanted to talk to you about something." George continued to Anna, turning to face forward again.

"Oh? What?" she asked, glancing over at him.

"We need to test our products on more people, since testing it on just us won't tell us much. We need to know if different people react differently to them." Fred explained on her other side, his hand once again playing with her hair. He'd stopped when he had to smack George a moment ago.

"I suppose that's true." Anna admitted slowly.

"So we were thinking of offering to pay people to be our test subjects." George informed her.

Anna thought about it warily. "What if someone gets hurt?"

"We'll add a warning on the flier about it being at their own risk." Fred answered.

"And we're paying them, so what do they have to complain about?" George pointed out.

"Well,…alright, but you need to be careful about it." Anna ordered them.

The three discussed the details of how they'd go about testing their products on other people. They stayed up in the drawing room for a few hours. During that time, Anna also fed, burped, and changed Aslan while they talked, finally putting him down for a nap after a while.

Around 6:00 in the evening, Sirius entered the room and told them Molly and Wren were back with their books and dinner was ready downstairs.

Sirius picked up Aslan, who'd woken up at the sound of his father's voice. Then they all headed down the stairs to the kitchen, arriving around the same time as Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Anna's eyebrows rose to her hairline. The dinner table was piled high with all kinds of food, and there was a scarlet banner hanging in the air that read:

CONGRATULATIONS RON AND HERMIONE - NEW PREFECTS

"I thought we'd have a little party, not a sit-down dinner." Molly explained when she noticed the kids enter the room. "Your father and Bill are on their way, Ron, I've sent them both owls and they're _thrilled_." she added, beaming at her youngest son.

Fred rolled his eyes, and Anna backhanded his chest.

Wren, Remus, Tonks, and Kingsely were already there, along with the others. Moody came shortly after everyone had started eating. Arthur and Bill arrived soon after, along with Mundungus, who was wearing a long overcoat that looked suspiciously lumpy. He declined to remove it when Molly offered. Drinks were passed around and Anna leaned against the counter next to Fred, his arm around her waist.

"Well, I think a toast is in order." Arthur announced to the room, raising his own glass. "To Ron and Hermione, the new Gryffindor prefects!"

Hermione and Ron both beamed as everyone drank to them and applauded.

"You'd think they'd just been announced co-Ministers." Fred muttered. Anna gave him a look.

"Be nice. Your brother deserves this." she told him.

"Oh, he deserves it, alright." George agreed with a devious grin on Anna's other side. "He deserves the hell we're going to give him if he tries to put us in detention."

Anna snorted, rolling her eyes as she approached her cousin, Hermione, and Ginny near the table. Tonks was wearing her hair down to her waist in a fiery red that matched the Weasleys.

"I was never a prefect myself." Tonks was saying as Anna stopped next to her. "My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities."

"Like what?" Ginny asked, trying to choose a baked potato at the table.

"Like the ability to behave myself." Tonks answered with a smirk.

Anna and Ginny laughed. Hermione, on the other hand, tried not to smile and ended up choking on her butterbeer. Ginny thumped her on her back to try and help.

"What about you, Sirius?" Ginny asked. Sirius was standing near them with Wren and Remus. Aslan was in the arms of his godfather and looked perfectly at ease.

Anna grinned as her father let out a barklike laugh, reminding her of his Animagus. "No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge."

"I think Dumbledore might have hoped that I would be able to exercise some control over my best friends. I scarcely say that I failed dismally." Remus admitted jokingly.

"That's probably why Anna wasn't made a prefect her fifth year." Wren added, grinning playfully at her daughter. "Too much like her father."

"That, and he probably learned from Remus that there's no way I'd be able to keep Fred and George in line." Anna added, making the others laugh.

After a few minutes, Fred gestured Anna over from across the room and she excused herself to join Fred and George in the corner. She kept a frown off her face when Mundungus joined them. While she loved the twins' joke shop, she didn't agree with them buying some of their ingredients from Mundungus, considering there was a large possibility they were stolen or from the black market.

Anna partially tuned them out as they discussed the Venomous Tentacula seeds Dung had gotten the twins. She was brought out of her thoughts when Mundungus suddenly stopped talking. Glancing up, she saw him staring over her shoulder. Anna looked back the same time Fred and George did. Harry was standing there watching them curiously. Fred winked at him and waved him closer.

"It's okay, we can trust Harry." Fred assured Mundungus. "He's our financial backer."

"Look what Dung's gotten us." George added to Harry, holding his hand out to show him the shriveled, black pods. Even though they remained completely still in his hand, there was a very faint rattling sound coming from them. "Venomous Tentacula seeds. We need them for the Skiving Snackboxes, but they're a Class C Non-Tradeable Substance so we've been having a bit of trouble getting hold of them."

"Ten Galleons the lot, then, Dung?" Fred guessed.

"Wiv all the trouble I went to to get 'em?" Dung's saggy, bloodshot eyes went wide, and Anna refrained from rolling hers. Dung had a habit of trying to raise the price of everything he sold the twins. It was predictably pitiful. "I'm sorry, lads, but I'm not taking a Knut under twenty."

"Dung likes his little joke." Fred told Harry.

"Yeah, his best one so far has been six Sickles for a bag of knarl quills." George agreed. "Anna here could get us those for free." he added, jerking his thumb at Anna while she kept a blank face. She'd never pluck quills from an innocent knarl, but she didn't need Dung knowing that.

"Be careful." Harry warned them quietly.

"What? Mum's busy cooing over Prefect Ron, we're okay." Fred pointed out.

"But Moody could have his eye on you." Harry answered, referring to Moody's magical eye, which had earlier seen through the ceiling and into the drawing room to tell Molly there was a boggart inside the writing desk.

Dung glanced nervously over his shoulder at where Moody was talking with Bill. "Good point, that. Alright, lads, ten it is if you'll take 'em quick."

"Cheers, Harry!" Fred beamed delightedly as Dung emptied his pockets into the twins' hands. Once free of his load, Dung took the ten Galleons and hurried toward the food. "We'd better get these upstairs…" Fred decided.

Anna smiled gratefully at Harry before following Fred and George from the room. They hurried up the stairs and into the twins' room.

"We may as well pack them into our trunks." George decided, taking the bag of seeds and plopping them into his trunk.

"Yeah. Now that you mention it, I still need to finish packing. So, I'll see you guys in the morning." Anna decided, heading for the door.

"Sure. Hang on, I'll walk you to your room." Fred volunteered quickly, hurrying out the door after her. Anna smirked over her shoulder at him.

"Oh, really?" she teased.

"What?" he smirked back. "Just want to make sure you get there in one piece. Don't need you tripping down the stairs or something."

"Uh huh. Sure." she agreed sarcastically.

Fred held her hand lightly in his as they headed down the stairs, and they walked together in companionable silence until they reached her door. Turning to face him, Anna leaned back against the doorframe.

"Well, this is me." she announced obviously.

"I can see that." Fred agreed with an amused grin. "Have fun packing."

"Same to you."

Fred's smile softened slightly. "You gonna miss everyone when we're back in school?"

Anna returned the smile and shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, a little. Especially my parents, Aslan, and Dora. And Bill, believe it or not." she realized suddenly.

Fred chuckled. "Yeah, same. And I'm certainly not looking forward to going back to school. But George and I aren't going to waste our last year there."

"Ah, yes. Wouldn't want to waste your last year at school going to class." Anna agreed sarcastically.

"Exactly." Fred agreed as if she'd been serious. "But I suppose there is one good thing about being back in Hogwarts."

"Oh? And what's that?" Anna asked curiously. She expected him to say Quidditch or something.

"I won't have to keep looking over my shoulder every time I want to do this." And with that, Fred leaned down and pressed a soft, sweet kiss to Anna's lips. She sighed contently, her hand moving to rest on Fred's cheek as she let him crowd her. Her back and the back of her head pressed into the wood of the doorframe, Fred's stomach lightly touching hers. One of Fred's hands pressed into the doorframe above her head, his other hand resting on her waist. His lips moved languidly against hers, and her fingers slid into his short hair.

"Love you." Fred breathed against her lips when he pulled back a little bit. "I'm gonna have to take you on another date sometime when we're back in school."

"I'd like that." Anna whispered, a smile stretching across her cheeks as she looked up at him.

Fred kissed her firmly one more time before stepping back. "I'd better go pack. Have a good night."

"Good night. And I love you, too." she whispered, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.

Fred grinned at her before stepping back and letting her enter her room. Once the door was closed, she sighed and leaned back against it. She would still miss her family and everyone here when she returned to Hogwarts, but she was certainly looking forward to doing more of _that_ , too.


	5. New Year, New Teacher, New Keeper

"Anna! Anna, wake up! We're running late!"

Annabelle bolted up in her bed, looking around blearily. Hermione and Ginny were hurriedly pulling their clothes on.

"We all slept in!" Hermione explained, pulling her shirt over her head. "We need to get going!"

Anna looked at her clock and instantly flew off her bed, tossing her covers aside. She snatched the clothes she'd set aside the night before and quickly changed into them. She could hear people rushing about in other rooms and downstairs.

Within two minutes, Anna was changed, her hair was in a ponytail, and her pajamas were shoved into her trunk. Ginny and Hermione wrestled with their trunks, dragging them toward the door. Anna looked down at hers for a moment before pulling her wand from her pocket. She waved her wand and muttered the incantation for the Feather-light Charm, casting the spell on her trunk.

With her wand in one hand, she easily lifted her nearly-weightless trunk with her other hand and carried it out of the room. Ginny and Hermione were still on the landing, trying to carefully carry their trunks down the stairs.

"Here." she told them, casting the Feather-light Charm on both their trunks.

Ginny lifted her trunk and heaved a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"No problem." Anna grinned at her before following the younger two down the stairs.

"Look out!" someone shouted. Anna instinctively ducked and looked over her shoulder up the stairs, but it was too late. Two identical trunks flew through the air, smacking into Ginny and knocking her down the remaining two flights of stairs.

"Ginny!" Anna and Hermione shouted, hurrying down the rest of the stairs.

Molly and Wren were already at the foot of the stairs, helping Ginny to her feet. They were fussing and checking her over gently, but she appeared to be fine other than a couple bruises.

Molly's eyes then flicked over Anna's shoulder, her face turning red with fury. Anna didn't even have to look to know who she was angry at.

Molly soon began shouting, her voice mixing with Anna's grandmother's as her portrait screamed at the top of her lungs.

"YOU COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS-"

"-FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS-"

Sirius appeared at Anna's side at the foot of the stairs. He passed Aslan to her before hurrying over to the portrait to try and shut the curtains. Anna gently bounced Aslan in her arms, one hand on the back of his head as he whimpered at all the noise.

"Your mother is going to kill you someday." she told the twins as they joined her.

"We didn't want to carry our trunks down the stairs." they told her together.

"You ever hear of a little thing called a Feather-light Charm?" she asked rhetorically, demonstrating by lifting her trunk with only an index finger of one hand.

Fred and George rolled their eyes.

The next several minutes passed in a blur, and Anna felt sure they were going to be late. Hedwig returned from delivering Hermione's letter to her parents. Molly had to patch Ginny up. Mad-Eye was constantly pointing out that they couldn't leave until Sturgis Podmore arrived because their guard for Harry would be short.

"I'm going to make sure Harry and Ron are getting up." Hermione told Anna, Crookshanks curled up in the younger girl's arms as she moved up the stairs.

Molly seemed to have the same idea, as she bellowed up the stairs after Hermione, "WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!"

Walburga's portrait was screeching again, but no one was bothering to shut her curtain because all the racket would wake her up again anyway.

Everyone else rushed down the stairs, and soon everyone was jammed in the front hallway. "Harry, you're to come with me and Tonks!" Molly had to shout over everyone's heads to be heard, "Leave your trunk and your owl, Alastor's going to deal with the luggage."

Anna moved closer to the wall, staying out of the way as Harry clambered over several trunks sitting in the hall to get to Molly.

"So, who're the rest of us going with?" Anna asked as Molly lead Harry out the front door, where Dora was probably already waiting for them.

"I'll be taking Ron and Hermione in a couple minutes," Arthur answered, "but we'll be taking a different route."

"You three are with me." Remus added, pointing out Fred, George, and Ginny.

"Lastly, Anna, you're coming with me and your mother." Sirius answered. "And Aslan, of course."

A couple minutes later, Arthur walked out the front door with Ron and Hermione. A few minutes after that, Remus left with Fred, George, and Ginny. Finally, Anna walked out the front door with her parents and little brother. The sun was shining weakly through the clouds, a light breeze brushing Anna's ponytail to the side.

"We'll be Apparating. Will you be fine to Apparate to Kings Cross on your own?" Sirius asked his daughter.

"Yeah, I think I can do that." Anna nodded once.

"We'll see you there, then." Sirius said with a smile, taking his wife's hand while she kept one hand on Aslan's head, the baby strapped to her chest with a sling.

Anna closed her eyes, focusing on the location she wanted to go to. Then, there was a familiar twist in her gut and a squeezing sensation as if she were being pulled through a small tube. When she opened her eyes, she was standing in an alley near the train station. Her parents appeared a second after her.

Together, they all walked into the station and ran, one at a time, through the wall between platforms 9 and 10. Coming out on the other side, Anna smiled when her eyes landed on the familiar, gleaming red engine. But it was a bitter sweet smile. This would be her last time taking the train to Hogwarts on September 1st. Her last year at Hogwarts. She was both ready for it, and nervous.

Anna followed her parents as they joined the others who had arrived. So far, it was just Molly, Tonks, Harry, Arthur, Ron, and Hermione.

"Ah. There's Moody." Arthur sighed in relief. They all looked to the archway to see Moody, wearing a porter's cap low over his mismatched eyes, limp through the archway pushing a cart full of their luggage. They all hurried over to him and began unloading their things. They were nearly done when Remus stepped through the archway with the twins and Ginny.

"No trouble?" Moody asked Remus in his usual growl of a voice.

"Nothing." Remus assured him.

"I'll still be reporting Sturgis to Dumbledore. That's the second time he's not turned up in a week. Getting as unreliable as Mundungus."

Anna exchanged a curious glance with the twins, but people began saying their goodbyes.

Anna said quick goodbyes to her family first. She gave Tonks a tight hug before moving to her parents. Since Aslan was strapped to Wren's chest, Anna settled for kissing the top of his head while hugging her mum. Wren hugged her gently, since the baby was sandwiched between them. Pulling away, Anna gave her father a tight hug, and he nearly lifted her off the ground, making her laugh.

"Have a good year, Belle." he told her, kissing the top of her head before pulling away.

"Study hard, too." Wren warned her. "It's your last year. Finish strong."

"I will, Mum. Promise." Anna assured her.

The train let out a warning whistle and students began hurrying toward the train.

"Quick, quick." Molly told them, hugging people at random. Anna quickly hugged Remus and Molly before hurrying after the others and onto the train. They all gathered around the nearest window and leaned out of it, waving to their family and friends, who began shrinking as the train pulled away.

"Well," Fred clapped his hands together eagerly, "can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. See you later." he told the younger trio before him, George, and Anna headed down the corridor to the right. They only walked for about a minute before they found a compartment with their friends.

Fred opened the door and gestured his twin and girlfriend in ahead of him before entering and closing the door. Lee, Alicia, Angelina, and Katie greeted them enthusiastically.

"Hi." Anna smiled around at them all, sitting down in the middle of one of the seats next to Katie. "How was your summer?" she asked the group in general.

"Oh, you know. Pretty uneventful." Alicia answered.

"Most of mine was my parents nagging me about NEWTs and what I want to do after school." Angelina admitted with a shrug.

"Speaking of after school," Fred spoke up.

"we need to make a sign to put up in the common room." George finished.

"For what?" Katie asked curiously.

"We need test subjects for our products, to make sure everyone reacts the same." George explained.

"Oh, that's easy." Lee said, pulling a piece of parchment from his trunk. Fred pulled out his inkwell and quill.

"We're offering to pay them, so we should emphasize on that part." Fred started.

"Just remember to put a warning on there." Anna reminded them. "Just in case someone reacts badly to one of the products."

"Yes, yes, we know." George waved her off as the three boys bent over the parchment.

They finished the flier within ten minutes, and Anna insisted on reading it herself before giving them the okay. Fred passed her the parchment to read.

 **GALLONS OF GALLEONS!**

Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings?

Like to earn a little extra gold?

Contact Fred and George Weasley,

Gryffindor common room,

for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs

(we regret that all work is undertaken at applicant's own risk)

"So, that warning is in smaller print." Anna noted slowly, nodding a couple times.

"We put emphasis on the important stuff." George answered easily.

Anna gave them both a stern look.

"Don't give us that look." Fred told her, snatching the parchment from her and putting it back in his trunk.

The train ride was filled, as always, with talking, laughing, snacking, games, and a couple pranks. The sky was dark when the train finally pulled into the Hogsmeade station.

Anna stepped off the train and onto the platform, her eyes scanning the train station with a small smile on her face. She took a deep breath in through her nose, smelling the familiar, brisk mountain air and waiting to hear the familiar, booming voice to call out for the first years.

Only…it wasn't Hagrid's voice that was calling for the first years.

Anna looked to her left toward the sound of a familiar, brisk, female voice and saw Professor Grubbly-Plank calling, "First years line up over here, please! All first years to me!"

Anna's brows furrowed worriedly, but a hand was grabbing hers and pulling her toward the carriages.

"Anna, come on. We need to get a good carriage." Katie urged her, pushing at her shoulder. Anna faced forward, looking up at Fred, who had been the one to grab her hand.

"But where's Hagrid?" she asked worriedly. "Why's Grubbly-Plank getting the first years?"

"Who knows? I'm sure it's nothing bad. Maybe…a hippogriff is giving birth." Fred suggested.

"Hippogriffs don't give birth, they lay eggs." Anna muttered. "And it's the wrong time of year for that."

"Oh, my apologies for being so ignorant." Fred teased, helping Anna step up into the carriage with a hold on her hand. "But really, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, Anna. He probably just had something else to take care of."

"Yeah. Okay." Anna finally agreed, scooting over in the carriage to make enough room for the others. Fred wrapped his arm around her shoulders as the group chatted, the carriage bumping along down the lane. They soon reached the castle and everyone got out of the carriage, walking up the large front steps and into the entrance hall.

They walked about halfway down the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall before taking a seat. Anna let her eyes travel around the room, scanning the teachers' table up front. The first thing she noticed was that Hagrid wasn't at the table, or anywhere in the room.

"Hagrid's still not here." Anna murmured to Fred, who'd sat next to her.

"Anna, relax. I'm sure he's fine." Fred assured her.

"But the last I heard of him, Dumbledore was sending him on a mission. What if it went wrong? What if he's hurt? What-"

"Alright, Anna." George cut her off, sitting on Fred's other side and leaning forward to talk to Anna from around his twin. "Hagrid's a half-giant. I'm sure he'll be fine. Relax."

Anna nodded, taking a deep breath to relax. Fred's hand rubbing soothing circles over her back helped.

"So, who do you think that new witch is?" Fred asked, nodding toward the teachers' table.

Anna turned to look again, and realized she hadn't even noticed the new addition to the front table. Though, she didn't understand how she could've missed her. The squat woman with short, curly mouse-brown hair was dressed completely in pink. Her Alice band in her hair perfectly matched the fluffy pink cardigan she was wearing over her robes. She also had a pallid, toad-like face and pouchy eyes. Anna wrinkled her nose at the sight. All that pink was painful to the eyes.

"Think she's our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Angelina asked, sitting across from Anna.

"No way." Anna answered surely. "There's no way Dumbledore would hire someone like her. And she doesn't look like she could defend herself against a fairy, much less a werewolf or vampire or something."

"True. But neither did Quirrell." George pointed out.

"And why else would she be here?" Fred added.

Anna grimaced. "I hate it when you two have a point."

"We know." they chorused with matching grins.

A few moments later, Professor Grubbly-Plank entered through the door behind the staff table and moved down the table to take her seat. Soon after, the front doors opened and McGonagall, carrying a stool with a familiar, worn wizard's hat, lead a line of scared-looking first years. McGonagall reached the front of the Hall and placed the stool carefully in front of the first years.

The whole school waited in anticipation for what felt like forever. Finally, though, the rip near the brim of the hat opened like a mouth as the Sorting Hat began it's new song:

' _In times of old when I was new_

 _And Hogwarts barely started_

 _The founders of our noble school_

 _Thought never to be parted;_

 _United be a common goal,_

 _They had the selfsame yearning,_

 _To make the world's best magic school_

 _And pass along their learning,_

" _Together we will build and teach!"_

 _The four good friends decided_

 _And never did they dream that they_

 _Might someday be divided,_

 _For were there such friends anywhere_

 _As Slytherin and Gryffindor?_

 _Unless it was the second pair_

 _Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?_

 _So how could it have gone so wrong?_

 _How could such friendship fail?_

 _Why, I was there and so can tell_

 _The whole sad, sorry tale._

 _Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those_

 _Whose ancestry is purest."_

 _Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose_

 _Intelligence is surest."_

 _Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those_

 _With brave deeds to their name."_

 _Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,_

 _And teach them just the same."_

 _These differences caused little strife_

 _When first they came to light,_

 _For each of the four founders had_

 _A House in which they might_

 _Take only those they wanted, so,_

 _For instance, Slytherin_

 _Took only pure-blood wizards_

 _Of great cunning, just like him,_

 _And only those of sharpest mind_

 _Were taught by Ravenclaw_

 _While the bravest and the boldest_

 _Went to daring Gryffindor._

 _Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,_

 _And taught them all she knew;_

 _Thus the Houses and their founders_

 _Retained friendship firm and true._

 _So Hogwarts worked in harmony_

 _For several happy years,_

 _But then discord crept among us_

 _Feeding on our faults and fears._

 _The Houses that, like pillars four,_

 _Had once held up our school,_

 _Now turned upon each other and,_

 _Divided, sought to rule._

 _And for a while it seemed the school_

 _Must meet an early end,_

 _What with dueling and with fighting_

 _And the clash of friend on friend_

 _And at last there came a morning_

 _When old Slytherin departed_

 _And though the fighting then died out_

 _He left us quite downhearted._

 _And never since the founders four_

 _Were whittled down to three_

 _Have the Houses been united_

 _As they once were meant to be._

 _And now the Sorting Hat is here_

 _And you all know the score:_

 _I sort you into Houses_

 _Because that is what I'm for,_

 _But this year I'll go further,_

 _Listen closely to my song:_

 _Though condemned I am to split you_

 _Still I worry that it's wrong,_

 _Though I must fulfill my duty_

 _And must quarter every year_

 _Still I wonder whether sorting_

 _May not bring the end I fear._

 _Oh, know the perils, read the signs,_

 _The warning history shows,_

 _For our Hogwarts is in danger_

 _From external, deadly foes_

 _And we must unite inside her_

 _Or we'll crumble from within_

 _I have told you, I have warned you…_

 _Let the Sorting now begin.'_

The hat went still and silent as the applause broke out, though whispers could be heard across the Great Hall.

Anna glanced curiously among her friends.

"Anyone else find that…odd?" Katie asked what they were all thinking.

"Huh? Oh, I spaced out after the fifth line." Lee admitted, making them laugh quietly.

Their whispering fell quiet as McGonagall began calling out the names of the first years. The only name Anna recognized was her cousin, Audra Drake. Anna smiled and applauded when she was Sorted into Ravenclaw just like their mums.

The Sorting took a long time, as it usually did, and Anna found her stomach growling louder and louder as time went on. Finally, the last name was called, a girl being sorted into Hufflepuff, and McGonagall carried the hat and stool from the room.

Dumbledore rose to his feet, causing the remaining whispers to fall silent.

"To our newcomers," Dumbledore greeted in a carrying voice, "welcome! To our old hands-welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

People cheered, laughed appreciatively, and applauded as Dumbledore reclaimed his seat and the food magically appeared.

"Thank goodness." Anna laughed, instantly reaching for some beef.

"Hungry?" Katie guessed as she scooped some Shepherd's pie onto her plate.

"Starving." Anna admitted.

The room was almost quiet as everyone ate their fill. As they made their way through the courses, the volume of voices gradually began to grow as people nibbled on their dessert. As the voices began getting louder, Dumbledore stood from his seat, causing them to go quiet once again as they waited for him to speak.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices." he began. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students-and a few of our older students ought to know by now too."

"Gee, wonder who he's talking about." Anna whispered, making Fred and George smirk.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door."

Anna, Fred, and George exchanged smirks.

"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Polite applause followed Dumbledore's announcement, and Anna felt like a rock had dropped in her stomach. Grubbly-Plank was teaching Care of Magical Creatures? Then when would Hagrid be back?

"Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the-"

Dumbledore stopped speaking and looked curiously over at the woman dressed in pink, whom Anna figured was named Umbridge. No one understood why he'd stopped speaking, until they heard a very quiet, " _Hem, hem_." Then, they realized that Umbridge had apparently stood up, which they hadn't noticed since she was so short. And it appeared she intended to give a speech.

Dumbledore looked taken aback for half a second before he sat down and stared intently at the small woman. The rest of the teachers didn't look quite as accepting. Professor Sprout's eyebrows disappeared under her hair. McGonagall's mouth was a very thin line, showing her displeasure.

Fred snorted and whispered near Anna's ear. "She's not going to last long."

"Good." she whispered back.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge said in a sweet voice, "for those kind words of welcome."

Anna cringed at the high-pitched, girlish sound of the woman's voice. It sounded surprisingly creepy and she wasn't sure why.

The pink-clothed woman gave another " _Hem, hem_ ," before continuing, "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" she said with a smile, showing surprisingly pointy teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"

"She's going blind." George hissed. "She can't see our expressions."

Anna and Fred muffled their laughter in their hands as the woman continued.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

"That's likely." Fred and George both muttered, Fred resting his chin in his palm with a bored expression.

Umbridge gave another " _Hem, hem_ ", which was quickly getting on Anna's nerves. When she continued speaking, however, some of the childish tone had left her voice, and it now sounded like a dull drone of a speech that someone had memorized. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Umbridge paused here and there, giving little bows to her fellow professors, none of whom bowed back. She gave yet another " _Hem, hem_ ," and continued her speech.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. Then again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…"

"Merlin, she's a longwinded old hag, isn't she?" Fred muttered, yawning behind his hand.

Anna nodded, struggling to keep her focus. She wasn't sure why she even bothered. Nothing the pink ditz said so far was right. She sounded like one of those Ministry morons who thought all control should be left up to the purebloods.

"…Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

She finally sat down, and Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed slowly, though most only clapped maybe once or twice. A few students clapped, as well, but by the time most realized the speech was over Dumbledore had stood again.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating." he said, bowing to her. "Now-as I was saying,…"

Dumbledore spoke for another minute before dismissing them to their dormitories.

Anna stood up with the others, noticing Ron and Hermione gathering the first years.

"Come on, let's go." Fred urged her quickly, trying to reach the front doors of the Great Hall before the crowd. "We need to get there first so we can get our sign up."

"But-we don't have the password." Anna argued, being shoved from behind by the twins.

"Sure we do. I got it from Ron." George told her as they left the common room. They took a secret passageway and made it to the Fat Lady's portrait well before anyone else from their house.

"Mimbulus mimbletonia." George said to her. She nodded once and swung her portrait open. Anna lead the twins into the common room before they hurried past her toward the bulletin board across the room so Fred could pin the sign up. Anna approached and leaned her shoulder against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest as she waited. Slowly, people filtered into the common room, and Anna noticed Harry was among the first to enter.

He looked a bit depressed, but he'd seemed fine at the feast. Anna smiled and waved at him as he passed. He waved back, but didn't smile as he headed straight up to his dormitory.

Sighing tiredly, Anna turned back to the twins. "Well, I'm tired. I'm going up to my dormitory to sleep." she told them.

"Alright." they chorused.

"Night, Anna." George told her, messing up her hair before heading toward Lee across the room.

"Night." Fred told her, grinning.

Anna returned the grin, stepping forward to give him a hug. He returned it tightly for a moment. "Night, Freddie." she whispered teasingly before stepping back and going up to her dormitory.

XXX

"…I wish Fred and George'd hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted…"

Fred and George exchanged mischievous grins before hurrying toward the younger trio at the breakfast table the next morning.

"Do mine ears deceive me?" Fred asked with a grin, both twins squeezing onto the bench next to Harry. Their brother Ron had been the one who'd spoken. "Hogwarts prefects surely don't wish to skive off lessons?"

Anna sat next to George, reaching for her breakfast.

"Look what we've got today." Ron told him grumpily, waving his schedule under Fred's nose. Anna caught a glimpse of it and saw that he had History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts. She grimaced in sympathy. She'd be starting her morning with Herbology with George, and then Fred would be joining them for Charms after lunch.

"That's the worst Monday I've ever seen." Ron continued.

"Fair point, little bro." Fred agreed, his eyes scanning the column. "You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like."

"Why's it cheap?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up." Anna informed him, looking pointedly at the twins.

"We haven't got an antidote yet." George explained, grabbing a kipper.

"Cheers," Ron mumbled moodily, shoving his schedule into his pocket, "but I think I'll take the lessons."

"And speaking of your Skiving Snackboxes," Hermione cut in, eyeing the twins beadily, "you can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor notice board."

"Says who?" George asked in surprise.

"Says me." she answered. "And Ron."

"Leave me out of it." Ron told her hurriedly.

Hermione glared at him, while the twins sniggered.

"You'll be singing a different tune soon enough, Hermione." Fred informed her, buttering a crumpet. "You're starting your fifth year, you'll be begging us for a Snackbox before long."

"And why would starting fifth year mean I want a Skiving Snackbox?" Hermione asked doubtfully.

"Fifth year's OWL year." George answered. Anna shuddered thinking about her own fifth year. Granted, hers had been worse than the average fifth year.

"So?"

"So you've got your exams coming up, haven't you? They'll be keeping your noses so hard to that grindstone they'll be rubbed raw." Fred answered smugly.

"Half our year had minor breakdowns coming up to OWLs." George answered happily. "Tears and tantrums…Patricia Stimpson kept coming over faint…"

"Kenneth Towler came out in boils, d'you remember?" Fred asked, sighing reminiscently.

"That's because you put Bulbadox Powder in his pajamas." Anna reminded him, smirking.

"Oh yeah." Fred grinned. "I'd forgotten…Hard to keep track sometimes, isn't it?"

"Anyway, it's a nightmare of a year, the fifth." George went on to the younger trio. "If you care about exam results anyway. Fred and I managed to keep our spirits up somehow."

"Yeah…you got, what was it, three OWLs each?" Ron pointed out, taking the words right out of Anna's mouth.

"Yep." Fred answered casually. "But we feel our futures lie outside the world of academic achievement."

"We seriously debated whether we were going to bother coming back for our seventh year," George admitted brightly, "now that we've got-"

Anna kicked his shin and Harry sent him a warning look. George had been about to mention Harry's Triwizard earnings.

"-now that we've got our OWLs." he corrected hastily. "I mean, do we really need NEWTs? But we didn't think Mum could take us leaving school early, not on top of Percy turning out to be the world's biggest prat."

"We're not going to waste our last year here, though." Fred continued, looking affectionately around the Great Hall. "We're going to use it to do a bit of market research, find out exactly what the average Hogwarts student requires from his joke shop, carefully evaluate the results of our research, and then produce the products to fit the demand."

"But where are you going to get the gold to start a joke shop?" Hermione asked skeptically. "You're going to need all the ingredients and materials-and premises too, I suppose…"

Anna glanced at the twins and Harry, trying not to look guilty or anxious. Harry's face was bright red, and he dropped his fork so he could dive under the table to grab it.

"Ask us no questions and we'll tell you no lies, Hermione." Fred told her smoothly. "C'mon, Anna, George, if we get going early we might be able to sell a few Extendable Ears before your Herbology class."

Anna grabbed her last piece of bacon and followed the twins from the Great Hall. They were each carrying a small stack of toast.

"Shoot. I forgot to tell Harry…" Anna muttered, glancing back over her shoulder.

"Tell him what?" George asked.

"Well, I'll tell him at lunch or something. Anyway, Angelina told me this morning that she wants the whole team at Quidditch tryouts on Friday at 5:00. All we need is a new Keeper."

The twins nodded, agreeing to be there.

XXX

When they arrived to dinner, the whole school was talking about it. Apparently during a Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Harry got into a shouting match with Umbridge, telling everyone he saw Cedric Diggory being murdered, and that he actually dueled Voldemort. Not surprisingly, this earned Harry a detention.

"For the third time, I'm only helping to ensure these first years are safe and treated fairly." Anna firmly told the twins and Lee as they gathered in a corner of the common room. They were soon swarmed by a group of first years.

"Yes, yes, we heard you." Fred assured her, opening the large paper bag of Fainting Fancies they were going to test.

Fred handed each first year a sweet, and one by one they all slumped over in their chairs, slid to the floor, or hung over the arms of the chair with their tongues hanging out.

Anna moved from kid to kid, checking them over to make sure they were okay while ignoring the rest of the common room laughing. Fred and George each had a clipboard and were jotting down notes and observations.

"That's enough!" Hermione snapped, marching over to them. Anna, Fred, and George looked up in mild surprise.

"Yeah, you're right," George agreed with a nod, "this dosage looks strong enough, doesn't it?"

Anna bit her lip, knowing that wasn't what Hermione was referring to at all.

"I told you this morning, you can't test your rubbish on students!" Hermione ranted.

"We're paying them!" Fred told her indignantly, clearly taking offense to their products being called 'rubbish'.

"I don't care, it could be dangerous!"

"Rubbish." Fred waved her off.

"Calm down, Hermione, they're fine!" Lee told her while him and Anna moved from first year to first year, putting the purple sweets that served as antidotes into their open mouths.

"Yeah, look, they're coming around now." George pointed out, seeing a few stirring. "Feel alright?" George asked kindly to a small, dark-haired girl lying at his feet.

"I-I think so." she answered shakily.

"Excellent." Fred said happily, but Hermione snatched his clipboard and the paper bag from his hands.

"It is NOT excellent!" she snapped.

"'Course it is, they're alive, aren't they?" Fred countered angrily.

"You can't do this, what if you made one of them really ill?"

"We're not going to make them ill, we've already tested them all on ourselves, this is just to see if everyone reacts the same-"

"If you don't stop doing it, I'm going to-"

"Put us in detention?" Fred guessed in an arrogant voice, as if doubting she'd have the nerve.

"Make us write lines?" George added with an equally-arrogant smirk. Onlookers around the common room were laughing while Anna watched anxiously. She liked Hermione and considered her a friend, she didn't want to get into a fight with her considering she seemed genuinely upset by what the twins were doing. And she was only doing her job as a prefect.

The young bookworm drew herself up to her full height, which Anna rarely ever saw her do. Her brown eyes were narrowed at the twins' challenges and her bushy hair almost seemed to crackle with electricity.

"No," she said in a voice that quivered with anger, "but I will write to your mother."

Anna's mouth fell open, and then she covered it with her hand to hide her smile as her eyes moved to the twins. Their smug expressions had dropped.

"You wouldn't." George stated, horrified as he took a step away from her.

"Oh, yes, I would." Hermione answered grimly. "I can't stop you eating the stupid things yourselves, but you're not giving them to first years."

Fred and George were completely thunderstruck. To them, threatening to tell their mother was way below the belt, something they thought the young bookworm wasn't capable of. Anna, on the other hand, thought it was genius, exactly something Hermione would pull. She'd clearly seen from experience that the usual threats of lines and detentions wouldn't deter the Weasley twins; they considered those as things to brag about. But threatening to call their mother? That would, in the very least, make them hesitant.

"And you," Hermione whipped around and fixed her angry gaze on Anna, making her flinch, "you shouldn't be helping them, you should be _stopping_ them. How can you think this is okay?"

"Whoa, Hermione, calm down. I'm only helping to make sure the first years are safe. I would never put them in danger, and despite what you think, neither would Fred and George."

"Well, it stops now." Hermione told them all firmly before thrusting the bag and clipboard back into Fred's arms and stalking back to her chair by the fire. Anna could see that Ron had sunk so low in his chair that his nose was level with his knees.

"I think that Prefects badge went to her head." Fred muttered angrily as the twins gathered closer to Anna.

"Well, she's got a point." Anna told him gently.

"No she doesn't." George snapped.

"We'll just lay low about it from now on. Do it somewhere outside the common room." Fred decided.

XXX

Anna wasn't sure what the next day would hold, as the only class she had was Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Umbridge, and she wasn't sure what to expect from the short, pink-dressed woman.

When they entered the classroom, Umbridge was already seated at the teacher's desk, waiting expectantly for them. Anna sat at a table with Fred, and George sat behind them with Lee. The minutes before class started were a little hushed, everyone whispering among themselves, since they weren't sure how rowdy they could be in Umbridge's class.

When it was time for class to start, Umbridge stood up and everyone fell silent.

"Good morning, class." she said cheerfully.

A few people mumbled a 'Good morning' back, but otherwise didn't respond.

"Well, now, that just won't do. Let's try that again, shall we? I would like you to reply 'Good morning, Professor Umbridge'. Now, after me. Good morning, class."

"Good morning, Professor Umbridge." the class answered. Anna glanced at Fred, who rolled his eyes.

"Well, that's much better." she said with a cheerful voice. "Now, wands away and quills out, please."

Several people groaned and Anna herself grimaced in disappointment as she stuffed her wand into her shoulder bag, pulling her quill out and placing it on her desk. That one line usually meant a boring class.

"Now, before we start our lesson, I'd like to give a reminder of what to expect at the end of your seventh year." Umbridge started in a sickly-sweet voice, pulling out her own, surprisingly short, wand and using it to write something on the blackboard.

"Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test." she read as she wrote the same words on the board. "Also known at NEWTs. These are very important tests that you take at the end of your education. They are necessary for your future careers."

Fred rolled his eyes, groaning quietly while Anna sighed, resting her cheek on her hand. They'd already heard the same speeches in their other classes the day before, which for Anna was Herbology and Charms. She could only imagine how annoying it was going to be hearing about it all over again in her remaining four classes.

Anna noticed it was silent for a few seconds, so she looked up and realized Umbridge was staring at her with a disturbingly sweet smile. She slowly straightened her back, letting her hand lower to the desk.

"Is there a problem, dear?" Umbridge asked her in that same child-like voice.

"Oh, um, no Professor." she answered quietly.

"Really? You seem rather uninterested in this topic. Is your future not important enough to you?"

"No, that's not it." Anna argued slowly, unsure how or why this was escalating to that extent. "It's just-we've heard this same lecture with all our other teachers so far. We understand what our NEWTs are."

Professor Umbridge didn't say anything for a moment, instead slowly turning and approaching the teacher's desk, looking down at some papers.

"What's your name, dear?" she asked sweetly.

Anna swallowed nervously. "Annabelle." she answered, trying not to sound nervous.

"Ah, yes. Annabelle Black." Umbridge nodded, still looking down at what Anna guessed was the list of students in the class. "Judging by your surname, I'd wager you're the daughter of Sirius Black, the only male heir of the Black line."

"Um, well yeah. What's that got to do with anything?" Anna asked in confusion, not bothering to mention that her little brother was now another male heir.

"It just explains a lot." Umbridge answered simply, looking back up and meeting Anna's eyes. "With your father being arrested as a murderer most of your life, you were raised by your mother, who wasn't much better. It makes sense that you don't care much about your education."

Anna tensed, her back going ramrod straight. Fred and George also tensed, both glancing at her warily.

Before Anna could contemplate a retort, Umbridge swept on, "Now, seeing as Ms. Black doesn't want you all to understand the importance of your NEWTs, I suppose we'll move on to the lesson. Now, since your past teachings of this subject have been rather chaotic, we will be going back to a more basic, Ministry-approved method."

"In other words, we won't learn anything useful." Fred breathed so only Anna could hear. She nodded, her jaw clenched. She was slouched in her seat, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she struggled to suppress the rage burning inside. She started slightly when a hand brushed across her shoulder blades. She glanced to the side and saw Fred staring at her. "Calm down." he breathed soothingly.

Anna took a deep breath, giving him a small smile.

"Now, if you'll all pull out your copy of _Defensive Magical Theory_ by Wilbert Slinkhard, I'd like you to open to chapter one and begin reading. There will be no need to talk." Umbridge told them all. The classroom was briefly filled with the rustling sounds of people getting their books out of their bags, placing them on their desks, and flipping open to the first chapter.

Anna turned to the first chapter, 'Basics for Beginners', trying to ignore how the toad-like teacher sat back in the teacher's desk, her pouchy eyes trained on the class.

It was quite possibly the most boring textbook Anna had ever read. By the third paragraph, her mind couldn't register what she was actually reading. She got to the third page before she realized she had no idea what she just read and forced herself to start over. It was no use, however, because she still couldn't focus. Glancing carefully around the room, she found she wasn't the only one.

A Slytherin student one row over was dozing off with his cheek in his hand. George and Lee appeared to be passing a piece of parchment back and forth, probably passing notes so they wouldn't get caught talking. She also caught sight of a dungbomb in George's pocket that he kept messing with. Fred was glancing around the room, looking bored to death. He met her eyes when she looked over at him and he smiled. _'This is so stupid,'_ he mouthed silently. Anna grimaced and nodded in agreement. Then, movement caught her eye and she looked past him. Another Gryffindor girl in their year, Patricia Stimpson, had raised her hand and was staring at Umbridge silently.

Anna nodded toward her and Fred followed her gaze. Soon, several people were watching her, as well. Probably because the book was so boring students had been gazing around the room instead, and found their eyes locked on Patricia.

"Did you have a question, dear?" Umbridge asked sweetly when over half the class was staring at the girl instead of reading.

"Yes, Professor. I just noticed that there's nothing in this book about using Defensive spells." Patricia answered promptly, her hand lowering to the tabletop.

"I don't see how that's a question, dear. Of course there's nothing in this book about using Defensive spells." Umbridge told her as if she were being silly. Anna's brows furrowed and she exchanged a confused glance with Fred.

"But why?" Patricia asked. "This is _Defense_ Against the Dark Arts. Shouldn't it be dedicated to teaching us how to defend ourselves?"

"Why would you have any need to defend yourselves? Who do you expect to attack you in class?"

"What about outside of class?" Angelina cut in. "We're all of age. After this year, we're leaving Hogwarts. We don't know what's going to happen out in the real world."

"Oh, please. Who do you think's going to attack any of you out there?" Umbridge asked with a little laugh, but her eyes flashed a silent challenge, daring them to give the answer she was thinking. Anna and Fred exchanged a knowing glance, both thinking the same thing. 'Voldemort'.

"What about people who want to become Aurors?" Anna found herself asking, turning to look up at Umbridge.

"Students must raise their hands if they wish to speak in my class." Umbridge stated promptly.

Anna raised her hand. "Okay, so what about people who want to become Aurors?"

"And do you plan on becoming an Auror?" Umbridge asked in amusement, as if the thought was laughable.

"Well, no, but-"

"Then why bother asking such a question?"

"In case someone _does_ want to be an Auror."

"Well, if anyone in this class chooses to become an Auror, they will receive proper training from their higher ups. However, it is my job to ensure you are able to get through your exams. That is, after all, what school is all about, isn't it?"

"No." Angelina answered. "School is supposed to teach us skills we can use in the real world, in our jobs."

"Well, older and wiser witches and wizards say otherwise, Miss Johnson." Umbridge stated firmly. "Now, I want you all to return to your reading. There will be no more discussion, and the next person to speak out of turn will receive a detention."

With that, Umbridge leaned back in her chair and waited expectantly for them to return to reading. Anna looked down at her book, though she had no intention of continuing to read. She had a feeling that this class was going to suck for the rest of the year.

XXX

The rest of the week passed slowly. Thursday, Anna and the twins took some first years to an unused classroom on the seventh floor to test the products without Hermione knowing. On the rainy Friday evening at 5:00 was the Quidditch tryouts.

"Is that little Prefect Ronnie?" Fred asked teasingly. Anna looked over her shoulder to see Fred and George snickering and pointing at their younger brother, who was among the half-dozen Gryffindors standing at the bottom of the goalposts, waiting for their turn to try out. Ron was wearing Quidditch robes and holding his new broom.

"Leave him alone." Anna told Fred, swatting both him and George on their shoulders. Without another word, she mounted her broom and flew up into the air. Fred and George followed a moment later. The rest of the team was already soaring around the field, except for Harry, who couldn't come because of his detention with Umbridge. Angelina wasn't happy at all about him missing tryouts.

They had the people trying out go one at a time, playing the position of Keeper at the goal posts. The first person was completely horrible. Katie managed to score on him twice within a few seconds. The second person was okay, but certainly not the best player. The third person was pretty good, she managed to block one of Anna's shots. The fourth person was terrible. He missed an easy shot, and then almost fell off his broom in the process. Fred shot a bludger at the fifth person, who dodged it very well. However, he then fumbled an easy save.

The sky was growing steadily darker as they called up the last two players. Ron was the sixth person, and he did pretty well. Anna tried not to go easy on him when she went to score. It certainly wasn't her best shot, but Ron saved it easily. The seventh person was another mediocre player, definitely not their first choice, but not terrible either.

"Alright, you all wait here, and the team will discuss the results." Angelina told the people trying out, leaving them waiting by the goalpost while the team moved away to talk.

"Okay, so what do we think?" Angelina asked the team as a whole. "I've marked down the top three. Vickey Frobisher, Geoffrey Hooper, and Ron Weasley."

"Please don't pick Hooper." Katie whispered desperately. "He's such a whiner. He's in my year, and such a big crybaby. I guarantee you, he'll start complaining about practices. _'It's too much work' 'I don't feel well, can I skip today?'_." she added in a whining baby voice that made Anna, Fred, and George snicker.

"Yeah, I've heard him around the common room." Angelina agreed, wrinkling her nose. "Unfortunately, Vicky already told me that she's in a lot of clubs and things, and that if Quidditch clashed with her Charm Club, Charms would always come first. We can't risk having someone with divided loyalty, in case she drops the team the day before a match or something."

"Then that leaves Ron." Anna pointed out carefully.

Angelina nodded slowly, watching the potential Keepers from the corner of her eye. "Yeah…The other two fly better, but…Ron has potential. With some proper training, he could be a great member of the team."

Anna glanced up at Fred and George. Both were grinning slightly, as if they were secretly pleased for their brother, but didn't want to make it too obvious.

"So, are we going with Ron?" Ang checked, looking around at the others. Anna nodded, as did the others. "Alright. Let's go tell them."

With Angelina in the lead, the team returned to the Keeper wannabes.

"Alright, everyone, listen up. The whole team has talked it over, and we decided to choose our next Keeper based, not only on skill, but availability and character, as well. It was a difficult decision, but we've made our choice. The new Keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch team is…Ron Weasley!"

Ron's mouth fell open while the others who'd tried out either gaped as well, complained, or clapped politely. The rest of the team clapped or cheered.

"Congratulations, Ron." Anna told him, walking over and giving him a short hug.

"We need to celebrate." Katie decided. "Let's go to the common room!"

"We'll get some food and drinks and meet you guys up there as soon as we can." Fred told them all.

"Good job, little bro!" George added as the twins raced away.

Anna decided not to go along with the twins, who were undoubtedly going to Honeydukes. Instead, she followed the rest of the team up to the Gryffindor common room to start the celebrations.

XXX

"You look exhausted." Anna stated as she sat on the arm of the armchair by the fire. Hermione was sitting in the armchair, looking ready to fall asleep. Both girls were holding a mug of butterbeer, which the twins had just returned with. They were passing drinks and food around, and the common room was full of sound and excited chatter.

"Well, I've had some late nights." Hermione admitted.

"Studying? Already? Guess I shouldn't be surprised." Anna admitted, partially teasing.

Hermione scrunched her nose up at Anna sarcastically. "Not completely, for your information. I've been knitting hats for the house elves."

Anna eyed her incredulously for a moment. "But…you know they can't take clothes, right? That would set them…" Anna trailed off when an idea occurred to her. "You're trying to set them free!" she accused, pointing her finger down at the young prefect.

Hermione shrugged. "Well, of course. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"And how many of them have actually accepted your little _gifts_?" Anna asked knowingly.

"I don't know." Hermione answered honestly. "I don't give the hats to them in person. I hide them around the common room."

Anna's mouth fell open. "You're _tricking them_ into being free? Do you have any idea how cruel that is? That will traumatize them."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. Once they realize how great it is being free, they'll all soon want to be free. Like Dobby."

"Dobby was different, he was abused by the Malfoys. The elves here get treated much better than he did. Dobby's admitted that himself."

"Either way, it's for the best." Hermione stated firmly, making it clear her opinion wouldn't budge.

Anna sighed, shaking her head. "When's Harry supposed to be done with his detention?"

"It should be soon." Hermione answered, looking down at her watch worriedly. "He should've been back by now, actually."

"Hm. Maybe he stopped somewhere on the way back or something." Anna guessed, not wanting to worry. After all, Harry was just in detention. What's the worse that could happen?

"Hello ladies." Fred greeted them, sitting on the arm of the couch so he was less than a foot from Anna. "Having fun?"

"Obviously." Anna told him with a smirk.

"Good. Hope you don't mind, Hermione, but I was hoping I could borrow by lovely girlfriend for a moment."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Go right ahead."

"Thanks." Fred grinned at her before taking Anna's free hand with his and pulling her away from the fire.

They walked to the other side of the common room, so that Hermione's back was facing them. Anna wondered shyly if Fred was going to sneak her up to his dormitory so they could be alone. Instead, they approached George and Lee, who were currently surrounded by several first years. Anna refrained from sighing, seeing them handing out what looked like Nosebleed Nougats.

"Alright, can you help us supervise so I can make notes?" Fred asked her charmingly.

Anna rolled her eyes, smiling in amusement. "Yes, Fred, I'll help supervise."

"Great, thanks." Fred beamed, quickly kissing her cheek before taking a clipboard from Lee. Anna stood near them and kept a close eye on all the first years in their group as they each ate a Nosebleed Nougat. As soon as she saw the first drop of blood from a young girl, Anna waved her wand and conjured several rags, passing one to each of the kids.

They only waited a few moments before passing out the antidote sweets. Almost as soon as the kids all swallowed the second sweets, blood stopped flowing from their noses. Fred made a note of this, grinning widely, as the first years wiped the blood from their faces. George passed out a couple Galleons to each first year for their service.

Anna glanced over her shoulder when she heard the portrait swing open. Harry stumbled into the common room, looking slightly dazed. Ron, having also seen his friend arrive, hurried over to him. The redhead was beaming and accidentally slopped butterbeer down his front. Fred and George headed over to greet him and Anna followed them.

"Harry, I did it, I'm in, I'm Keeper!"

"What? Oh-brilliant!" Harry muttered. "Where's Hermione?"

"She's over there." Anna told them, pointing over to the armchair that Hermione had finally fallen asleep in, her drink tipping precariously in her hand.

"Well, she said she was pleased when I told her." Ron said, looking disappointed.

"Let her sleep." George suggested hastily, glancing over at the first years, some of whom still had some dried blood around their nostrils.

"Come here, Ron, and see if Oliver's old robes fit you." Katie called across the common room. "We can take off his name and put yours on instead…"

Ron hurried over to her while Angelina approached Harry to talk.

"I bet that's one hand-me-down Ron doesn't mind getting." Anna noted with a grin as Ron slipped the robes on over his other clothes.

"Probably not." the twins chorused in agreement.

 **XXX**

 **Well, they're back at school and Anna's officially met Umbridge. Oh, the joy.**

 **Let me know what you all thought of this chapter! I really love and appreciate reviews more than you can possibly imagine, and I probably don't say that enough!**

 **Also note, I obviously don't own the Sorting Hat's song.**


	6. Worst First Practice

Angelina wasted no time starting practices. The very next day was their first Quidditch practice of the year. Ron and Harry were the last members of the team to join everyone else in the changing room.

"Alright, Ron?" George asked teasingly, winking at him.

"Yeah." Ron answered quietly.

"Ready to show us all up, Ickle Prefect?" Fred asked, popping his head out of his Quidditch robes, hair tousled and grinning maliciously.

Anna paused in pulling her shoes on, her eyes fixed on Fred's hair. It looked…sexy messed up like that. Blushing at her sudden thoughts, Anna lowered her eyes and finished getting ready.

"Okay everyone." Angelina called, entering from the Captain's office already changed. "Let's get to it; Anna and Fred, if you can just bring the ball crate out for us. Oh, and there are a couple of people out there watching but I want you to just ignore them, alright?"

Anna and Fred exchanged a look as they each grabbed a handle on each end of the crate. Angelina's tone suggested one thing.

Slytherins.

Sure enough, when they all stepped out into the bright sunlight on the pitch, it was to catcalls and jeers from the Slytherin Quidditch team and a few others, all sitting halfway up the stands.

"What's that Weasley's riding?" Malfoy called over the others. "Why would anyone put a Flying Charm on a moldy old log like that?"

His friends all cackled and guffawed. Anna glanced at Ron as she and Fred set the crate down and mounted their brooms. As Ron did the same, she noticed his ears were turning red.

"Ignore them." Harry called as he caught up with the rest of the team. "We'll see who's laughing after we play them…"

"Exactly the attitude I want, Harry." Angelina told him approvingly, flying around them with the Quaffle tucked under her arm. She slowed to a stop to hover in front of the rest of the team. "Okay, everyone, we're going to start with some passes just to warm up, the whole team please-"

"Hey, Johnson, what's with that hairstyle anyway?" Pansy Parkinson shrieked from the stands below. "Why would anyone want to look like they've got worms coming out of their head?"

Angelina swept her long, braided hair over her shoulder and continued calmly, "Spread out, then, and let's see what we can do…"

The team flew off in different directions around the pitch. Angelina lifted the Quaffle with one hand and threw it hard to Fred, who passed to George, who passed to Anna, who passed to Harry, who passed to Ron, who dropped it. The Slytherins burst out laughing while Ron shot toward the ground and caught the Quaffle before it hit the ground. He pulled out of the dive messily, almost slipping sideways off his broom, and returned to his post blushing. Anna glanced at the twins, who exchanged a look, but thankfully they didn't say anything. Probably because the Slytherins were already embarrassing Ron enough.

"Pass it on, Ron." Angelina told him as if nothing had happened.

Ron passed the ball to Katie, who passed it to Harry, who passed it to George…

"Hey, Potter, how's your scar feeling?" Malfoy called. "Sure you don't need a lie-down? It must be, what, a whole week since you were in the hospital wing, that's a record for you, isn't it?"

Fred passed to Ang, who reverse passed it to Harry, who caught it and quickly passed to Ron, who barely missed.

"Come on now, Ron." Angelina nearly scolded him as he dove once again for the Quaffle. "Pay attention."

They passed the Quaffle around again, and Ron luckily managed to catch it this time. Unfortunately, he passed it so enthusiastically that it slipped through Katie's hands and hit her right in the face.

Anna winced in sympathy for her friend.

"Sorry!" Ron groaned, flying forward to check the damage. Anna went to do the same, but Angelina called them back.

"Get back in position, she's fine!" she snapped. "But as you're passing to a teammate, do _try_ not to knock her off her broom, won't you? We've got Bludgers for that!"

Katie's nose was bleeding. Fred and George flew toward her.

"Here, take this." Fred suggested, handing her something small and purple from his pocket. "It'll clear it up in no time."

Anna smiled slightly at them.

"Alright." Angelina called. "Fred, George, go and get your bats and a Bludger; Ron, get up to the goalposts, Harry, release the Snitch when I say so. We're going to aim for Ron's goal, obviously."

The twins zoomed off down to the crate with Harry on their tails while the others waited patiently for their return. They got the Snitch and a Bludger out of the crate and flew back into the air. Angelina blew her whistle, causing Harry to release the Snitch and Fred and George the Bludger.

Angelina instantly passed the Quaffle to Anna, who bolted at her top speed toward the goals that Ron was nervously guarding. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and rolled in midair, barely missing a Bludger. She passed the Quaffle to Katie, whose face was still covered in blood. Katie threw the Quaffle at the right goalpost. Ron barely caught it with the tips of his fingers and threw it sloppily toward the other end of the pitch.

They did this for a few more minutes, but Ron didn't save the following four goals, and Anna wasn't that surprised when Angelina blew her whistle after his fifth fumble.

"Stop- _stop_ -STOP!" she screamed. "Ron-you're not covering your middle post!"

Anna grimaced in both sympathy for Ron and agreement with Angelina. He'd been hovering in front of the left-hand hoop for a while now, which had lead Anna and the other Chasers to aim for either the middle or the right.

"Oh…sorry…"

"You keep shifting around while you're watching the Chasers!" Angelina continued. "Either stay in center position until you have to move to defend a hoop, or else circle the hoops, but don't drift vaguely off to one side, that's how you let in the last three goals!"

"Sorry…" Ron repeated, his face bright red and almost blending with his hair.

"And Katie, can't you do something about that nosebleed?" Ang ranted, clearly annoyed at the whole world.

"It's just getting worse!" Katie complained thickly, covering her nose with her sleeve.

Anna's head snapped around to look over her shoulder at the twins, remembering the small sweet Fred had given the sixth year. Her eyes fixed on Fred, who looked as anxious as she felt. He was checking his pockets frantically before he pulled something purple from one pocket. He stared hard at it for a second before lifting his eyes to look at Katie, his expression horrified. Anna felt her stomach drop and she suddenly felt nauseous.

"No…he didn't…" she whispered to herself, looking back around at Katie.

"Well, let's try again." Angelina ordered firmly, making a show of ignoring the Slytherins, who were chanting, _"Gryffindor are losers,"_ over and over. She was very tense, though.

"But, Ang-" Anna tried.

"Now!" she snapped impatiently, passing the Quaffle to Anna, who barely caught it. Anna sighed and flew toward the goals to try and score.

Anna only lasted three minutes before she decided enough was enough. She caught a look at Katie, who was ghostly white with blood covering her nose, mouth, chin, and chest. Her broom was trembling and she looked about to pass out.

"Angelina! Look at Katie!" she screamed, bolting down the pitch toward the brunette. She heard Ang blow her whistle and caught sight of Fred and George flying toward her. Anna jerked to a stop and gently took Katie's arm, leading her carefully toward the ground so she didn't fall. They were soon joined by the rest of the team as their feet touched the ground. Katie barely remained standing, her broom still under her, while Anna didn't release her arm in fear she'd fall over.

"She needs the hospital wing." Angelina stated tensely.

"We'll take her." Fred volunteered. "She-er-might have swallowed a Nosebleed Nougat by mistake-"

"Well, there's no point continuing with no Beaters and a Chaser gone." Angelina said gloomily as Fred and George zoomed off toward the castle on their brooms, supporting Katie between them. "Come on, let's go and get changed."

Anna sped through changing and hurried to the hospital wing as fast as possible. When she got there, she found Fred standing just inside the doorway, his arms crossed and leaning his shoulder against the door as he stared into the room.

"How is she?" Anna asked quietly, stopping next to him and peaking inside. Katie was laying in a bed, her face clean of blood yet still pale as she talked sleepily with George, who was sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Madam Pomfrey says she'll be fine. She just needed to take a Blood Replenishing Potion and has to stay here overnight." Fred admitted quietly so they didn't disturb the other two.

"I can't believe you gave her a Nosebleed Nougat by mistake." Anna whispered, shaking her head.

Fred winced. "I know, I know. I already feel bad enough, don't rub it in."

Anna smiled softly up at him, wrapping her arm around his lower back. "Don't feel too bad. Your heart was in the right place. Katie isn't mad, is she?"

"No. She understood." Fred answered, uncrossing his arms to wrap one around Anna's shoulders. "She even thanked us for trying to help."

"Sounds like her." Anna admitted. "So,…that was probably the worst first practice of the year we've ever had, if not the worst in general. Think it's an omen?" she asked ruefully, almost partially teasing.

"Probably."

XXX

"What is _she_ doing in here?" George asked in a disgusted whisper. Anna glanced over her shoulder and saw that, sure enough, George was referring to the ugly pink toad sitting in the corner of their Charms class.

"I take it you didn't read the _Daily Prophet_ this morning." she guessed, turning back to him and talking in a low whisper.

"Of course not." George told her, scrunching up his face. "Why would I waste time reading that rubbish?"

"I didn't either," Anna admitted, "but Katie told me this morning. Apparently Umbridge has been given the position of Hogwarts' High Inquisitor."

"High what now?" Fred, George, and Lee all repeated in confusion.

Anna shrugged slightly. "All I got out of it is that she gets the right to inspect all the teachers. I guess Flitwick's inspection is today."

Fred pouted, plopping his chin onto his palm.

"What are you pouting about?" Anna asked in amusement.

"I don't know, it's just that…we get to sit through an inspection and it's _Flitwick_?" he whined slightly. "He won't do anything funny or interesting. Now, McGonagall on the other hand…" he trailed off pointedly.

Anna snorted, covering her mouth with her hand to muffle any laughter. "Oh my gosh, you're right. I wish we could sit through McGonagall's inspection. She'd tear Umbridge apart." she whispered quietly.

They talked quietly for a few more minutes before Flitwick entered the room, standing on his desk so he could see all of them.

"Good afternoon, class. Before we start today, I'd like to welcome a guest, who will be joining us for our class today. Professor Umbridge, welcome." he said warmly, clapping his hands. The class slowly and hesitantly joined him in clapping, though no one was enthusiastic about it.

The class was spent mostly doing review from the year before, like turning vinegar to wine.

Anna turned her bottle of vinegar to wine on her first attempt and glanced around the room, waiting for Flitwick to move on. Her eyes landed on Umbridge, who had gotten up from her seat to approach Alicia a table over.

"Dear, could you tell me what your classes are normally like? Is this how you usually spend your class time?" she asked in her sugary sweet voice that made Anna grimace.

"Yeah, they're really good lessons. He usually demonstrates the spell, tells us what to do, and lets us practice." Alicia answered easily.

"I see." Umbridge nodded with a smile, making a note on her clipboard.

XXX

"I got a P." Anna, Lee, and the twins overheard Ron say as they entered the common room. "Happy?"

"Well, that's nothing to be ashamed of." Fred told him, reaching their table in the corner. He sat on Harry's right, and Anna sat next to him. "Nothing wrong with a good, healthy P."

"But doesn't P stand for…" Hermione started to ask.

"'Poor', yeah." Lee answered. "Still better than D, isn't it? 'Dreadful'?"

Anna noticed Harry's face go red before he started coughing.

"So top grade's O for 'Outstanding'," Hermione started thinking out loud, "and then there's A-"

"No, E." George corrected her, "E for 'Exceeds Expectations'. And I've always thought Fred and I should've got E in everything, because we exceeded expectations just by turning up for the exams."

Anna snorted and laughed along with the others, except for Hermione, who continued their conversation.

"So after E, it's A for 'Acceptable', and that's the last pass grade, isn't it?"

"Yep." Fred answered. "Then you get P for 'Poor'," Ron raised both his arms in mock celebration, causing Anna to grin sympathetically, "and D for 'Dreadful'."

"Don't forget T." Anna reminded him.

"T?" Hermione repeated, sounding appalled. "Even lower than a D? What on earth does that stand for?"

"'Troll'." George answered promptly, causing Harry to laugh.

"You lot had an inspected lesson yet?" Fred asked the younger trio.

"No, have you?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Just now. Charms." George answered.

"What was it like?" Harry and Hermione asked at the same time.

Fred shrugged. "Not that bad. Umbridge just lurked in the corner making notes on a clipboard. You know what Flitwick's like, he treated her like a guest, didn't seem to bother him at all. She didn't say much. Asked Alicia a couple of questions about what the classes are normally like, Alicia told her they were really good, that was it."

"I can't see old Flitwick getting marked down, he usually gets everyone through their exams alright." George admitted.

"Who've you got this afternoon?" Fred asked Harry suddenly.

"Trelawney-"

"A T if I ever saw one-"

"-and Umbridge herself."

Anna grimaced, worried about how that lesson would go, given Harry's history with the new Defense teacher.

George clearly thought along the same lines. "Well, be a good boy and keep your temper with Umbridge today. Angelina'll do her nut if you miss anymore Quidditch practices."

"And you're not the one who has to share a dormitory with her." Anna added warningly, making them laugh again.

XXX

Harry didn't keep his temper with Umbridge. Nope, not at all. Anna didn't know all the details, but he once again landed himself in detention, a _weeks worth_ of detention, which included during one of their practices. Angelina was _pissed_. So pissed, in fact, that she cornered him Tuesday morning when Harry arrived at breakfast and yelled at him in front of everyone. McGonagall had to approach them from the staff table to shut them up.

The following two weeks went a little bit better, depending on how one looks at it. They had four more Quidditch practices, and Harry made it to some of them, and Ron was actually getting better at his new Keeper position.

The twins were still testing some of their completed products on first years, which Anna did her best to help with. However, she was also swamped with studying for her NEWTs, so she didn't have as much free time to help Fred and George as she would like. It was about as stressful as her fifth year, and it had only been about a month into the school year.

And of course, Defense Against the Dark Arts was a huge waste of time. Every class period, they spent the whole hour with their wands in their bags and their books on their desks, reading a new chapter each time. It was so boring Anna had almost dozed off a couple times. Fred's book even had a drool stain from the one time he managed to fall asleep with his face in his book.

"Come on, Anna. Put the book away. We need your help making a batch of Fever Fudge." George pleaded, trying to pull the Charms book from Anna's hands. Anna pushed her annoyance down and yanked it back, glowering up at her boyfriend and his twin.

"Back off, both of you. Unlike the pair of you, I need to get these NEWTs, and I can't by helping you all the time. I helped you yesterday, now I need to do my homework. You'll be fine making your Fever Fudge without me."

"But-" Fred started to beg again.

"Anna?"

Anna looked over her shoulder and saw Hermione rounding the couch to sit next to her.

"Hey. What's up?" Anna asked curiously.

Hermione glanced carefully over her shoulder. "I was hoping I could talk to you. All three of you, if that's alright." she added, looking up at the twins.

"We didn't do anything." the twins quickly stated defensively.

Hermione gave them a look. "Not what this is about, though I doubt that statement is completely honest. This is about Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"What about it?" Anna asked in confusion.

"Well, you all have to admit we're not learning anything from Umbridge. Her idea of Defense Against the Dark Arts is absolutely rubbish." Hermione explained in a low whisper.

Anna, Fred, and George all nodded slowly in agreement.

"Yeah. Okay, you're right, but what are we supposed to do about it?" Anna asked uncertainly.

"Well, aside from possibly failing our exams, Umbridge is also depriving us of being able to defend ourselves should we get attacked. So I was thinking…what if we started our own Defense Against the Dark Arts group?"

Anna glanced up at the twins, who were glancing at each other curiously.

"A group?" Anna repeated. "Like…a club?"

"Kinda." Hermione admitted. "I'm talking Harry into teaching it. But it has to be top secret, we can't let it possibly get back to Umbridge."

Anna once again glanced up at the twins, feeling excitement start to rise inside her. Their expressions showed the same emotion as they glanced at each other, her, and then looked back at Hermione.

" _Harry's_ going to teach us defensive magic?" they asked in excited whispers.

Hermione nodded slightly. "I think so, yes. But remember, top secret. Only tell people you're positive you can trust. We're going to have a meeting in the Hog's Head at the next Hogsmeade weekend."

"Could we tell Lee?" George checked.

Hermione thought for a second. "Yes, I think so. If you trust him, that'd be fine."

"Great." Anna grinned at her. "We'll be there."

XXX

The first weekend of October couldn't arrive fast enough. Anna, Fred, George, and Lee ate breakfast very fast so they'd have time to stop into Zonko's before going to the meeting.

The Hog's Head Inn was on the far side of Hogsmeade. When they walked in, Anna glanced around cautiously, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the limited light. The pub was small and dingy, smelling very strongly. The bay windows were encrusted with grime so very little daylight could actually get in. The little light in the room also came from the little stubs of candles on the tables. The stone floor was also covered in decades worth of dirt and dust.

From what Anna could see, dozens of people were already there. She saw several Gryffindors she recognized, like Katie, Alicia, and Angelina, as well as Neville and Dean, and Lavender Brown and the Patil twins. She caught a glimpse of Colin Creevey and his brother, and Ginny. She also recognized people from other Houses like the Ravenclaw Seeker Cho Chang and one of her friends, as well as a dazed, blonde girl she'd seen around. There was also Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, a couple other Hufflepuff girls, and a few Ravenclaw boys. And of course, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were there.

Anna approached Ginny to wait while Fred approached the bar.

"Hi." Fred greeted the bartender, who had frozen at the sight of so many people in his bar. Fred turned to quickly count the number of students. "Could we have…twenty-five butterbeers, please?"

The barman glared at him before throwing down his rag irritably and passing out dusty butterbeers from under the bar.

"Cheers." Fred told him, starting to hand the butterbeers out to everyone. "Cough up, everyone. I haven't got enough gold for all of these…"

Anna took the bottle Fred passed her and dug around in her robe pocket for four Sickles to pay for her own drink, as well as Ginny's. Everyone else did the same until soon everyone had a drink and the barman was paid.

Neville sat across from Harry, who was sitting next to Hermione at a table. Everyone else grabbed chairs and gathered around the table Harry was sitting at. Most people looked excited, a couple curious, and a couple doubtful. After a few moments, all their chatter died down and everyone was staring curiously at Harry.

"Well," Hermione spoke up, her voice higher-pitched than normal, "-er-hi."

Everyone focused on her, but Anna noticed a few people still kept glancing over at Harry.

"Well…erm…well, you know why you're here. Erm…well, Harry here had the idea-" Harry threw her a sharp look, "I mean, I had the idea, that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts-and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us," Hermione voice became stronger now, like she was drawing confidence the more she spoke, "because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts-"

"Hear, hear." one of the guys muttered in agreement.

"-well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands."

She paused and glanced sideways at Harry for a moment. "And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells-"

"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL too, though, I bet?" guessed a guy who Anna thought was named Michael Corner. He was sitting next to Ginny and watching Hermione closely.

"Of course I do." Hermione answered promptly. "But I want more than that. I want to be properly trained in Defense because…because…" she took a deep breath and finished firmly, "Because Lord Voldemort's back."

The reaction to that statement was so predictable, Anna almost laughed. Cho's friend shrieked and spilled butterbeer down herself, a few people flinched, twitched, or shuddered, and Neville yelped. A second later, however, they all turned to stare at Harry expectantly.

"Well, that's the plan anyway." Hermione continued as if nothing had happened. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to-"

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" a blonde Hufflepuff guy asked aggressively. Anna thought she recognized him from the Quidditch team.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it-"

"You mean, Dumbledore believes _him_." he interrupted Hermione, nodding toward Harry.

"Who are you?" Ron asked him rudely.

"Zacharias Smith," he answered. "and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes _him_ say You-Know-Who's back."

"Look," Hermione cut in quickly, clearly wanting to prevent an argument, "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about-"

"It's okay, Hermione." Harry told her.

"What makes me say You-Know-Who's back?" Harry repeated, looking Zacharias right in the eye. "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."

Anna nodded once in agreement, giving Harry a supportive smile.

"All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts." Zacharias said dismissively. "He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd all like to know-"

"If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone I can't help you." Harry told him angrily. "I don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, alright? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."

It was silent for a moment, but no one left their seats.

"So." Hermione broke the silence, her voice high-pitched again. "So…like I was saying…if you want to learn some defense, then we need to work out how we're going to do it, how often we're going to meet, and where we're going to-"

"Is it true," interrupted a girl with a long braid down her back, "that you can produce a Patronus?"

There was a murmur of interest among the group. Anna was tempted to answer the question, since she'd seen Harry perform the Patronus herself a couple years before, but she let him answer himself.

"Yeah." Harry answered in a defensive tone.

"A corporeal Patronus?" she pushed.

Anna wasn't sure what the difference was. Harry, however, looked like he recognized the term.

"Er-you don't know Madam Bones, do you?" he asked.

The girl smiled. "She's my auntie. I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So, is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"

"Yes." Harry answered honestly.

"Blimey, Harry!" Lee exclaimed, looking impressed. "I never knew that!"

"Mum told Ron not to spread it around." Fred admitted, grinning at Harry. "She said you got enough attention as it was."

"She's not wrong." Harry muttered, making a few people laugh.

"And did you kill a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" another guy demanded. "That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year…"

"Er-yeah, I did, yeah." Harry admitted.

Justin Finch-Fletchley whistled, the Creevey brother exchanged amazed looks, and Lavender Brown whispered a quiet, "Wow." Anna smothered a smile behind her hand. Harry's face was dark red at the attention.

"And in our first year he saved that Sorcerous Stone-"

"Sorcerer's." Hermione corrected Neville.

"Yes, that, from You-Know-Who." Neville continued excitedly.

"And not to mention," Cho added, "all the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year-getting past dragons and merpeople and acromantulas and things…"

There was a murmur of agreement, several more people sounding impressed by Harry's many feats.

"Look," Harry spoke up, sounding awkward, "I…I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be modest or anything, but…I had a lot of help with all that stuff…"

"Not with the dragon, you didn't." Michael Corner interrupted. "That was a seriously cool bit of flying…"

"Yeah, well-"

"And nobody helped you get rid of those dementors this summer." Susan Bones pointed out.

"No," Harry admitted, "No, okay, I know I did bits of it without help, but the point I'm trying to make is-"

"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" asked Zacharius.

"Here's an idea," Ron spoke loudly, "why don't you shut your mouth?"

Anna smirked slightly when Zacharius blushed.

"Well, we've all turned up to learn from him, and now he's telling us he can't really do any of it."

"That's not what he said." Fred snapped angrily.

"Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" George asked, pulling a long, metal object from his Zonko's bag, which he'd bought from the joke shop.

"Or any part of your body, really, we're not fussy where we stick this." Fred finished viciously. Anna quickly reached over to grab George's wrist of the hand holding the mysterious weapon, shoving his hand back down.

"Behave." she hissed to both of them.

"Yes, well," Hermione spoke quickly before the situation could escalate, "moving on…the point is, are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry?"

There was a murmur of agreement from everyone except Zacharias. He was sitting with his arms crossed, his eye warily watching George's new toy.

"Right." Hermione sighed in relief that there was finally some agreement in the group. "Well, then, the next question is how often we do it. I really don't think there's any point in meeting less than once a week-"

"Hang on," Angelina interrupted, "we need to make sure this doesn't clash with our Quidditch practice."

"No," Cho agreed, "not with ours."

"Nor ours." added Zacharius.

"I'm sure we can find a night that suits everyone," Hermione assured them all impatiently, "but you know, this is rather important, we're talking about learning to defend ourselves against V-Voldemort's Death Eaters-"

"Well said!" Ernie Macmillan exclaimed. "Personally, I think this is really important, possibly more than anything else we'll do this year, even with our OWLs coming up!"

He looked around with his head high, as if expecting everyone to loudly agree with him. However, no one spoke, and he swept on, "I, personally, am at a loss to see why the Ministry has foisted such a useless teacher upon us at this critical period. Obviously they are in denial about the return of You-Know-Who, but to give us a teacher who is trying to actively prevent us from using defensive spells-"

"We think the reason Umbridge doesn't want us trained in Defense Against the Dark Arts is that she's got some…some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the school as a kind of private army. She thinks he'd mobilize us against the Ministry."

Anna, who'd spent the summer in the headquarters of the Order, didn't find this too shocking. After all, Umbridge came from the Ministry. She worked closely with Fudge, who was being really paranoid lately. However, nearly everyone else looked shocked.

"Well, that makes sense." a faraway voice spoke up. Anna glanced over and found a blonde girl with radish earrings. "After all, Cornelius Fudge has got his own private army."

"What?" Harry asked, completely shocked.

"Yes, he's got an army of heliopaths." she admitted solemnly.

"No, he hasn't." Hermione snapped, a bit more harshly than Anna thought necessary.

"Yes, he has." the girl countered calmly.

"What are heliopaths?" Neville asked.

"They're spirits of fire." the girl answered, her eyes widening. "Great tall flaming creatures that gallop across the ground burning everything in front of-"

"They don't exist, Neville." Hermione interrupted curtly.

"Oh yes they do!" the girl exclaimed angrily.

"I'm sorry, but where's the _proof_ of that?" Hermione snapped.

"There are plenty of eyewitness accounts, just because you're so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you-"

 _"Hem, hem."_

Anna jumped, along with several others, her head snapping to the side to stare at Ginny, who smirked. She'd done such a good imitation of Umbridge that several people looked around in terror before laughing.

"Weren't we trying to decide how often we're going to meet and get Defense lessons?" Ginny asked pointedly to get them back on track.

"Yes." Hermione agreed at once. "Yes, we were, you're right…"

"Well, once a week sounds cool." Lee announced.

"As long as-"

"Yes, yes, we know about the Quidditch." Hermione cut Angelina off tensely. "Well, the other thing to decide is where we're going to meet…"

There was several moments of silence, as no one could think of anywhere that would work.

"Library?" Katie suggested hesitantly after a few moments.

"I can't see Madam Pomfrey being too chuffed with us doing jinxes in the library." Harry pointed out.

"Maybe an unused classroom?" Dean suggested.

"Yeah." Ron agreed. "McGonagall might let us have hers, she did when Harry was practicing for the Triwizard…"

"But would we all fit in a classroom, much less be able to properly practice certain jinxes without accidents happening?" Anna pointed out hesitantly.

"Right, well, we'll try to find somewhere." Hermione agreed. "We'll send a message round to everybody when we've got a time and a place for the first meeting."

She looked around in her bag for a moment before pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill. She seemed hesitant for a moment before she spoke again.

"I-I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here. But I also think," she took a deep breath, "that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge-or anybody else-what we're up to."

Fred reached for the parchment without any hesitation and cheerfully signed his name. Anna noticed several people looked hesitant or slightly defiant as she signed her own name. She passed the parchment to George, who quickly signed his name below hers.

When George tried to pass it to Zacharius, he seemed hesitant. "Er…Well…I'm sure Ernie will tell me when the meeting is."

"I-well, we are _prefects_." Ernie burst out. "And if this list was found…well, I mean to say…you said yourself, if Umbridge finds out…"

"You just said this group was the most important thing you'd do this year." Harry reminded him.

"I-yes, yes, I do believe that, it's just…" Ernie trailed off uncertainly.

"Ernie, do you really think I'd leave that list lying around?" Hermione asked testily.

"No, no, of course not." Ernie quickly assured her, looking a bit reassured at her point. "I-yes, of course I'll sign."

Nobody argued again after Ernie, and everyone at the meeting signed their names before handing the parchment back to Hermione, who carefully slipped it into her bag. There was a moment of almost tense silence as they all sat there. It felt like they were all bound together by something, despite some dislike among certain people.

"Well, time's ticking on." Fred broke the silence with a brisk voice, standing up from his chair. "George, Lee, Anna, and I have got items of a sensitive nature to purchase, we'll be seeing you all later."

Anna rolled her eyes, getting up to follow the three boys from the pub. They stepped outside into the sunny, yet chilly, afternoon, followed gradually by the other students who'd attended the meeting.

Anna walked between the twins and noticed George glance over his shoulder. He did so a few more times before Anna called him on it.

"George, what are you looking at?" she asked.

"That guy Ginny's walking with." George answered, his brow furrowed suspiciously.

Anna glanced over her shoulder, as did Fred and Lee. Sure enough, Ginny was several meters back, walking with a pale Ravenclaw boy with black hair. They were talking and laughing, walking very closely side-by-side.

"What was his name again?" Fred asked, now looking as suspicious as his twin.

"Don't know." Anna lied smoothly.

"I think it's Michael Corner." Lee answered.

"Maybe we should talk to him." Fred suggested.

"Noooo." Anna drew the word out, wrapping an arm around Fred's elbow so she could pull him along the path. "Leave them alone."

"But why is our baby sister walking with a _boy_?" George demanded, not liking the situation.

"They're probably just friends." Anna assured them. She didn't mention that Ginny had told her and Hermione over the summer about how she met Michael at the Yule Ball, and they started dating a few months later. She wanted to last as long as possible without any of her brothers finding out, knowing how they would act. The fact that Anna now had to drag both twins along the path was further proof of that.

"Guys, just forget it." Anna told them firmly. "We need to go buy more knarl quills from that guy."


	7. Dumbledore's Army

The following Monday came bearing bad news in the form of a large sign on the Gryffindor bulletin board, so large it covered everything else. Annabelle was one of the first to see it, along with Angelina and Alicia. It was printed in large, black letters and had a seal and curly signature at the bottom.

By Order of

THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups and Clubs are henceforth disbanded.

An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students.

Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge).

No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor.

Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organization, Society, Team, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.

 _The above is in accordance with_

 _Educational Decree Number Twenty-four._

Signed:

Dolores Jane Umbridge

HIGH INQUISITOR

"She can't be serious." Angelina growled angrily, glaring at the poster.

"You don't think she knows about our meeting, do you?" Anna asked them quietly.

"Forget that! Does this include Quidditch?" Angelina exclaimed.

Anna glanced nervously at Alicia, who shrugged.

"I'm going to talk to McGonagall." Angelina announced, turning and marching out of the common room.

"We should head to breakfast. We can ask Harry when we see him." Anna suggested as the remaining two girls headed toward the portrait hole. They reached the Great Hall about a minute before the guys, who approached them quickly.

"Did you lot read that decree in the common room?" Fred demanded, sitting next to Anna. "What are we going to do?"

"We don't know. We're waiting for Harry to get here so we can ask." Anna told them.

Everyone in the Great Hall was seriously discussing the poster, some even hurrying up and down the tables to talk to several different people. The second Anna and the twins saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione, they got up and approached them, and they weren't the only ones. Neville, Dean, and Ginny approached them, too.

"Did you see it?"

"D'you reckon she knows?"

"What are we going to do?"

They all talked over each other, staring at Harry expectantly. He glanced around to ensure no one was listening in on them before answering quietly, "We're going to do it anyway, of course."

"Knew you'd say that." George beamed proudly, thumping Harry's arm.

"The prefects as well?" Fred asked, looking curiously at Ron and Hermione.

"Of course." Hermione answered coolly.

Ron glanced over his shoulder. "Here comes Ernie and Hannah Abbott. _And_ those Ravenclaw blokes and Smith…and no one looks very spotty."

Anna wasn't sure what he meant by "spotty", but she felt the same sense of alarm as Hermione at the sight of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws approaching.

"Never mind spots, the idiots can't come over here now, it'll look really suspicious-sit down!" She mouthed the last two words at Ernie and Hannah, gesturing frantically for them to return to their tables. "Later! We'll-talk-to-you- _later_!"

"I'll tell Michael." Ginny said impatiently, swinging her legs over the bench. "The fool, honestly." She hurried over to the Ravenclaw table to join her boyfriend and his friends.

Anna, Fred, and George returned to their previous seats to finish their breakfast, and were joined a few moments later by a sour-looking Angelina.

"I've just spoken with Professor McGonagall." she told them angrily. "Apparently Umbridge's new decree _does_ include Quidditch teams, so I have to go officially ask for permission to reform the team."

"That's rubbish." the twins chorused, looking disgusted.

"Yeah, well," Angelina shrugged, picking at her eggs. "Anyway, you talk to Harry?" she directed her question at Anna.

"Yeah, we all did." she answered. "He said we're still doing it."

"Good."

XXX

Anna barely got time to work on her Charms essay that evening. She was interrupted by Angelina, who stormed across the common room toward her when she entered with Alicia and Katie.

"Well, there's no practice tonight." she informed her tensely.

"Why?" Fred and George asked from their spots on the couch next to Anna.

"Umbridge hasn't given us permission. Apparently she 'needs time to consider'." she quoted angrily.

"That's barmy. From what I heard, she gave the Slytherin team the okay right off the bat." Anna said.

Angelina shrugged, looking miserable. "Well, take advantage of your spare time, I guess."

The twins did, indeed, use their time wisely. They demonstrated the Puking Pastilles for everyone in the common room. Everyone watched, transfixed, as Fred took a bite out of the orange end of the chew, vomited impressively into the bucket Anna had placed in front of him, and forced down the purple end of the sweet, causing the vomiting to stop.

Anna smiled at the young second year boy as she gave him a couple Puking Pastilles, which he purchased by giving her four Sickles. Anna put the money in the small bag Lee was holding and turned to help the next customer.

While Anna was placing the orders, Lee was regularly vanishing the vomit with his wand, and Fred and George continued to take turns demonstrating. Anna had flat out refused to demonstrate this product, or help test it. She didn't exactly enjoy puking.

George's demonstration of projectile-vomiting into the bucket caused a surge of eager students making purchases. The first time Anna counted the money, they'd earned about 26 Galleons, but by the time the large crowd dispersed they earned more than double that. Anna, Fred, Lee, and George stayed up well past midnight counting their earnings before they went up to bed. Once changed into her pajamas, Anna forced herself to work on her homework, but she ended up falling asleep on her book.

XXX

Anna walked down the stairs into the common room the next morning and was instantly approached by Harry, who appeared to have been waiting for her in the common room.

"Hi. Can we talk?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, sure." Anna answered instantly. The two headed out the portrait hole and waited until they were alone in the corridor.

"Okay, I got a letter from Sirius yesterday, and I talked to him in the common room fire last night." Harry told her quietly.

"What?" Anna demanded quietly, staring at him with wide eyes. "Why didn't I get to talk to him?"

"Sorry. You looked really busy last night, and a lot happened. But anyway, apparently the Order knows about our defense group."

"How could they already know?"

"Apparently Dung had been disguised in the Hog's Head and overheard us. Sirius thinks it's a great idea, but Mrs. Weasley and Wren…"

"Let me guess," Anna interjected, "they're against it."

"Yeah. They don't want us to get hurt or in trouble."

"Well, it's not like they can control us from outside Hogwarts' walls." Anna pointed out.

"Yeah. But that's not everything." Harry told her as they walked down the many flights of stairs. "Our conversation was interrupted."

"What's so shocking about that? People come in and out of the common room all the time." Anna pointed out in confusion.

"It wasn't someone coming into the common room." Harry answered in a low mutter, glancing around cautiously. "Umbridge's hand appeared in the fire." Anna's head snapped around to stare at him and she almost missed a step. "She almost grabbed Sirius's head, but he got away and we ran to our dormitories without getting caught."

"That sounds way too close." Anna whispered, her eyes wide. "What do you think she would've done if she'd caught my dad? I mean, it's got to be illegal, he practically snuck onto school grounds. Knowing her, she would've tried getting him thrown back in Azkaban if she caught him."

"Hermione thinks Umbridge may have intercepted my mail. If she read my letter she'd have known Sirius would be in the fire. And it would explain what happened to Hedwig."

"What happened to Hedwig?" Anna demanded worriedly.

"She arrived at my History of Magic class yesterday with an injured wing. I left her with Professor Grubbly-Plank to be taken care of, she should be fine. We think Umbridge might have attacked Hedwig to get my letter."

Anna sighed, shaking her head. "This is getting insane."

"Harry! Anna!"

The two had just reached the Great Hall, and Angelina was already sitting at the Gryffindor table waiting for them.

"What's up, Ang?" Anna asked curiously as they approached her seat.

"Umbridge just got back to me about our Quidditch team. We've been reformed, though she seemed really hesitant about it." Angelina told them, rolling her eyes. "So we'll have practice at seven tonight."

Anna glanced up at the ceiling, noting the dark gray clouds, pouring rain, thunder, and lightning that matched the weather outside.

"Great." she answered, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her tone.

Harry headed down the table for his own breakfast among his friends while Anna joined Angelina.

The day certainly wasn't enjoyable. The only good thing Anna could think of was that she only had one class on Tuesdays. Unfortunately, that one class was Defense Against the Dark Arts.

The weather also didn't improve, so Anna walked down to the pitch with her friends in the pouring rain. They were completely soaked by the time they entered the warm relief of the changing room.

"I can't believe she's making us practice in this." Fred grumbled, glaring back out the door at the rain.

"Maybe we could get out of it." George suggested. "If we caught the flu, she couldn't make us fly." he added with a smirk.

"If we were genuinely puking, yeah, but I bet she'd know what we'd done." Fred argued out of corner of his mouth. "If only I hadn't offered to sell her some Puking Pastilles yesterday-"

"We could try the Fever Fudge," George muttered, "no one's seen that yet-"

"Does it work?" Ron asked hopefully as he and Harry entered the changing room as soaked as the rest of the team. The rain seemed to have intensified in the last minute, beating against the roof as the wind nearly took the door off it's hinges.

"Well, yeah," Fred answered, "your temperature'll go right up-"

"-but you get these massive pus-filled boils too," George added, "and we haven't worked out how to get rid of them yet."

"I can't see any boils." said Ron, staring at the twins as if searching for the boils.

Anna burst out laughing, unable to help it because she knew exactly where the boils were. And she was very happy she'd tested the Fainting Fancies instead of the Fever Fudge.

"No, well, you wouldn't," Fred answered darkly. "they're not in a place we generally display to the public-"

"-but they make sitting on a broom a right pain in the-"

"Alright, everyone, listen up." Angelina called loudly, emerging from the Captain's office. "I know it's not ideal weather, but there's a good chance we'll be playing Slytherin in conditions like this so it's a good idea to work out how we're going to cope with them. Harry, didn't you do something to your glasses to stop the rain fogging them up when we played Hufflepuff in that storm?"

"Hermione did it." Harry answered, pulling out his wand. He tapped his glasses and said, _"Impervius!"_

"I think we all ought to try that." Angelina decided. "If we could just keep the rain off our faces it would really help visibility-all together, come on- _Impervius_! Okay. Let's go."

After everyone did the same as Angelina, they put their wands back into the inside pockets of their robes. They then grabbed their brooms and headed outside into the rain.

They squelched and slipped through the mud to the middle of the pitch. Even though the Impervius Charm was supposed to improve their visibility, it didn't do much. It was still hard to see through the rain coming down in sheets, and the sky was darkening as night set in.

"Alright, on my whistle!" Angelina shouted over the wind.

The team kicked off the ground, spraying mud in every direction. The wind blasted into their sides, blowing them slightly off course as they all rose in the air. Anna almost got knocked in the head by the one Bludger they were practicing with. She almost couldn't see it. Luckily, the Quaffle was bigger and easier to see, even though Anna almost got hit in the face with it when Angelina passed it to her. It was impossible to see what the rest of the team was doing unless they were mere feet away.

Their practice lasted for about an hour before Angelina admitted defeat, but as they all walked back to the locker room, she insisted it wasn't a waste of time. Anna wasn't sure whether to laugh at or pity Fred and George, who were waddling bandy-legged across the pitch with expressions of pain and annoyance.

They reached the locker room and Anna grabbed a towel, using it to dry her ponytail.

"I think a few of mine have ruptured." Fred mumbled in a hollow voice, referring to the boils on his butt. Anna bit her lips together to keep from laughing, hiding her face by sitting and bending down to take off her boots.

"Mine haven't." George muttered through clenched teeth. "They're throbbing like mad…feel bigger if anything…"

"OUCH!"

Anna looked over her shoulder to see Harry had his face pressed into his towel.

"What?"

"What's up?"

Several people asked all at once, everyone turned to stare worriedly at Harry. He slowly emerged from behind his towel, his glasses missing from his face.

"Nothing." he muttered. "I-poked myself in the eye, that's all…"

The look he gave Ron said otherwise, but Anna let him be and followed the rest of the team out of the locker room after they'd changed and pulled their cloaks on.

"Still sore?" she asked Fred and George quietly, glancing worriedly between them as they continued hobbling across the grounds. They both nodded, their jaws clenched. "Maybe we could try the Cure for Boils?"

"That might work on getting rid of these, but we need to figure out how to keep them from popping up in the first place." George pointed out.

"Maybe we can check the library. Or I can." Anna quickly amended, seeing the twins' disgusted expressions at the thought of going into the library.

"We'll think of something." Fred agreed, throwing his arm over her shoulders as they walked in the pouring rain.

XXX

Since Anna had no morning classes on Wednesdays, and the twins had no classes at all on Wednesday, they spent the morning after breakfast trying to find a way to get rid of the boils in the Fever Fudge. They searched the library up until lunch time, but they couldn't find anything that would work.

They put it in the back of their minds while they ate, but it went without saying that the twins would return to searching while Anna went to History of Magic. However, as they were leaving the Great Hall, Harry approached them.

"Anna, Fred, George." he called quietly. They stopped and Harry gestured for them to follow him off to the side of the entrance hall.

"What's up?" Anna asked as they stood by the wall, people walking past them on their way to their next classes.

"A couple things. Angelina says Quidditch practice is cancelled-"

"Yes!" Fred exclaimed, fists in the air.

"For someone who loves Quidditch so much," Anna teased him, "you sure are happy practice is cancelled."

"I love Quidditch when I'm not sitting on a hundred boils, and when I can actually see my hands in front of my face." Fred informed her seriously before cracking a smile and winking.

"Anyway," Harry interrupted, fighting a smile, "we also found a place for our defense meetings."

"Really?" Anna asked excitedly.

"Where?" the twins demanded.

Harry glanced around cautiously before answering, "At 8:00 tonight, meet us on the seventh floor, opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by trolls. You'll see when you get there."

With that, Harry left them feeling both curious and excited for the coming evening. They spent the hours doing homework, on Anna's part, or working on joke products, on the twins' part. Finally, at 7:45 they decided they could head to the given destination.

They reached the tapestry fairly quickly, and Anna was surprised to see a highly polished door with a brass handle on the wall across from the tapestry. She glanced curiously at the twins, who looked the same.

"Do you remember this room being here before?" she asked them as they approached it.

"No." they both answered. George grabbed the handle and turned it, pushing the door open. Anna's mouth fell open as they stepped into the room. It was spacious and lit with flickering torches. The walls were lined with wooden bookcases, there was a set of shelves on the far end of the room holding a range of instruments such as Sneakoscopes, Secrecy Sensors, and a large Foe-Glass, and there were large, silk cushions on the floor.

Ginny, Neville, Lavender, Parvati, and Dean were already there, along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"What is this place?" Anna asked as the three approached the group that was already gathered.

"It's the Room of Requirement." Harry explained. "I guess it only appears when you have real need for it, and it has everything you could possibly need. Dobby told me about it."

"Cool." Anna, Fred, and George said together before approaching the many cushions on the floor. Anna took a seat next to Hermione, who was reading a book.

By the time it was 8:00, every cushion was taken and Harry approached the door and turned the key that was protruding from the lock. The click of the lock was so loud, Anna heard it and everyone fell silent and turned to Harry. Hermione marked the book she'd been reading and set it aside so they could all listen.

"Well." Harry started nervously. "This is the place we've found for practices, and you've-er-obviously found it okay-"

"It's fantastic!" Cho exclaimed, and a few people murmured in agreement.

"It's bizarre." Fred noted, frowning around at everything. "We once hid from Filch in here, remember George? But it was just a broom cupboard then…"

"Hey, Harry, what's this stuff?" Dean asked from the back of the group, gesturing to all the things on the shelves.

"Dark Detectors." Harry answered, moving between the cushions to reach the shelves. "Basically they all show when Dark wizards or enemies are around, but you don't want to rely on them too much, they can be fooled…" He stared at the objects for a moment before turning back to the group.

"Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and-er-" His gaze found Hermione's raised hand. "What, Hermione?"

"I think we ought to elect a leader." Hermione stated simply. Anna turned to look at her in confusion.

"Harry's leader." Cho stated at once, voicing Anna's thoughts.

"Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly." Hermione stated. "It makes it more formal and it gives him authority. So-everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?"

Everyone raised their hands, though Zacharias Smith did so reluctantly.

"Er-right, thanks." Harry muttered, his face turning slightly red. "And- _what_ , Hermione?"

"I also think we ought to have a name." she said brightly, her hand still in the air. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"

"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" Angelina asked hopefully.

"Or the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group?" Fred suggested, making Anna and George snicker.

"I was thinking," said Hermione, frowning at Fred from around Anna, "more of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings."

"The Defense Association?" Cho suggested. "The D.A. for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about?"

"Yeah, the D.A.'s good." Ginny agreed thoughtfully. "Only let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?"

Anna chuckled along with several others, a few people making comments of agreement.

"All in favor of the D.A.?" asked Hermione, kneeling up on her cushion to count the raised hands. Anna and the twins were just a few of the several to raise their hands. "That's a majority-motion passed!"

She pinned the piece of paper with all of their signatures on it on the wall and wrote DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY at the top.

"Right," Harry started speaking when Hermione returned to her seat, "shall we get practicing then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is _Expelliarmus_ , you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful-"

"Oh _please_." complained Zacharias, rolling his eyes and folding his arms like a petulant child. "I don't think _Expelliarmus_ is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

"I've used it against him." Harry explained quietly. "It saved my life last June."

Zacharias opened his mouth stupidly, but no words came out. Everyone else seemed to be awkwardly silent, as well.

"But if you think it's beneath you, you can leave." Harry added at a normal volume.

Zacharias didn't move, and neither did anyone else.

"Okay. I reckon we should all divide into pairs and practice." Harry decided.

Everyone stood up and divided up. George tossed his arm over Anna's shoulders.

"Would you be my partner for once? I know you enjoy snogging my twin, but I'm your friend, too, aren't I?"

Anna laughed, noticing Fred roll his eyes at his twin. "Of course, George." she answered.

Everyone moved away from other pairs, and Anna noticed Neville was left alone, so Harry partnered with him.

"Right-on the count of three, then-one, two, three-"

" _Expelliarmus_!" Anna shouted with everyone else in the room. However, George was faster and Anna's wand flew from her hand into his. Other wands flew in several directions, some wayward spells hit the bookshelves, sending books flying. Lee's wand hit Anna in the arm when Fred's spell knocked it from his hand. Other people weren't fairing much better. Some spells were barely strong enough to push the victim back a couple feet.

Despite Zacharias's complaints, it seemed starting with the basics like Harry suggested was a good idea. Even some of the older students were struggling with a simple Disarming Charm, which was second year stuff.

George tossed Anna her wand back, but before they could continue their practice, Fred nudged George's elbow with his. Anna and George both looked at him, only for Fred to nodded toward George's opposite side, where Zacharias Smith was practicing with Anthony Goldstein. George instantly smirked and glanced knowingly at Fred. Before Anna knew what was happening, George pointed his wand at Smith's back and suddenly Smith's wand flew from his hand.

Anna snorted, covering her mouth with her free hand to keep from laughing. Zacharias looked around in confusion, picked his wand up off the ground, and pointed it back at Anthony.

This time, Fred pointed his wand silently at Smith's back and the same thing happened: Smith's wand flew from his hand. They did this a few more times before Harry noticed.

"Sorry, Harry." George said hastily when he caught Harry's eye. "Couldn't resist…"

When Harry moved on to check the others, Anna approached the twins, who were snickering together.

"You two…" she trailed off, unable to come up with something to say. "You're good at nonverbal spells."

"Why, thank you." they chorused, bowing deeply and making her laugh again.

"Can we get back to practicing?" she asked.

They'd only gotten back to practicing for a couple minutes, and Anna was able to disarm George a few times, when a whistle suddenly echoed in the room. Everyone lowered their wands and turned to look at Harry.

"That wasn't bad, but there's definite room for improvement." he told them all. "Let's try again…"

They went back to work with Harry moving in and out of them to offer help and suggestions.

" _Expelliarmus_!" Anna shouted, causing George's wand to fly into her hand. "Ha!" she laughed, pointing at him and giving a hop.

George narrowed his eyes at her before suddenly, both his and Anna's wands shot from her hands and into his. He smirked smugly while Anna's mouth fell open.

"Did you just do that wandlessly?" she demanded. She didn't know either twin could do that. She didn't really know anyone, at least their age, that could do wandless magic. Much less wandless _and_ nonverbal.

"Possibly." George told her smugly, tossing her wand back to her.

Before they could go back to practicing, Hermione shouted across the room, "Hey, Harry, have you checked the time?"

Anna glanced back to see Harry look down at his watch, his eyes going wide. He quickly blew his whistle and everyone stopped practicing again.

"Well, that was pretty good," he told them all, "but we've overrun, we'd better leave it here. Same time, same place next week?"

"Sooner!" Dean Thomas demanded excitedly, and several people nodded in agreement, Anna included. It felt good to let loose and practice like this. They hadn't been allowed to with Umbridge teaching Defense.

"The Quidditch season's about to start," Angelina pointed out quickly, "we need team practices, too!"

"Let's say next Wednesday night, then," Harry decided to appease everyone, "and we can decide on additional meetings then…Come on, we'd better get going…"

Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map and used it to ensure the coast was clear before sending them out in threes and fours. Anna left with Fred and George in the fourth group, heading down the corridor toward the portrait hole.

"Wednesday can't get here soon enough." Fred announced, to which Anna and George voiced their agreements.

XXX

Dumbledore's Army was quick to discover it was next to impossible to fix a regular meeting time, mainly because they had to work around three different Quidditch team's practices. However, Hermione came up with a clever way for them all to communicate. She gave every member of the D.A. a fake Galleon at the end of their fourth meeting. Instead of having the coin's serial number around the edge, it said the time and date of the next meeting. The coins would grow hot when the date changed, so they'd be able to feel it. Whenever Harry changed the date on his coin, all the coins changed to match it so they'd know.

However, due to the first Quidditch match approaching, the D.A. had to put off their meetings because Angelina insisted they needed almost-daily practices. Ron wasn't nearly as good as Oliver Wood, but he was improving and working extra hard to prove himself. Anna tried to make the twins be nicer to him, pointing out his weakness was that once he made a mistake, he'd lose his confidence.

"You know, he might actually make us proud." Fred commented after one such practice as they made their way back to the castle. During this practice, Ron had hung from his broom one-handed and kicked the Quaffle so hard from the goal it flew the length of the pitch and through the center hoop at the other end. It was beyond impressive.

"Yeah." George agreed. "We might have to seriously consider admitting we're related to him."

With November came colder weather and frost. Anna's hands nearly froze to her broomstick during practices, and they stung every time she caught the Quaffle in her tingling fingers. The castle wasn't much warmer except in the common room by the fire. Anna found it especially warm in the evening hours, after she finished her homework and before she went up to bed, when she would curl up on the couch by the fire, snuggled into Fred's side while they discussed shop and Quidditch stuff with George.

The morning of Gryffindor's match against Slytherin came early and cold. They ate their breakfast as they always did before heading down to the pitch to change in the locker room. Harry and Ron were about ten minutes later then the others, and Angelina was giving the rest of the team a pep talk. Anna noticed Ron was attempting to put his uniform on back-to-front because he was so nervous. He did this for several minutes before Anna took pity on him and helped him. She noticed his face was pale and tinted gray, as if he was going to be sick.

Angelina also announced that Slytherin finally gave her the new Slytherin team's lineup. Apparently Derrick and Bole, the previous Beaters, had graduated and were replaced by Crabbe and Goyle, who were in Harry and Ron's year.

"It's time." Angelina told them in a hushed voice after several minutes of people entering the stands. "C'mon everyone…good luck."

Anna and George high-fived each other as they headed out. They walked in a single file line, their brooms propped up against their shoulders. The sun was bright and warm on Anna's skin and the crowd cheered loudly as they walked onto the pitch. Anna thought she could vaguely hear people singing in the crowd, but she couldn't hear exact words. The Slytherin team was already waiting for them, and Anna noticed they were wearing silver, crown-shaped badges on their robes.

"Captains shake hands." Madam Hooch ordered, and Angelina and Montague approached each other. Like always, Montague tried to crush Angelina's hand in his, but to her credit, she didn't flinch. "Mount your brooms…" Hooch ordered.

Anna swung her leg over her broom, and as soon as the whistle was blown, the balls were released and all the players shot into the air. Angelina nabbed the Quaffle from the air and bolted down the pitch. Anna followed to have her back. Angelina ducked Warrington, passed Montague, but then she got hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe.

Anna tried to grab the Quaffle, but Montague knocked her aside and grabbed it instead, heading the opposite direction. Luckily, George whacked a Bludger at Montague, hitting him in the head. He dropped the Quaffle right into Katie's hands. Anna spun around and Katie passed the Quaffle to her.

Anna dodged around Warrington, who tried to intercept her, and ducked a Bludger, which whistled mere inches by her ear. Over the howling of the wind in her ears, Anna became aware of the fact that part of the crowd was singing something.

Goyle swerved in front of Anna, so she passed the Quaffle to Angelina, who had a clear path. With the Quaffle in her Captain's hands, Anna slowed her flight and let herself listen to the song being sung in the crowds.

… _Weasley is our King_

 _Weasley was born in a bin,_

 _He always lets the Quaffle in,_

 _Weasley will make sure we win,_

 _Weasley is our King._

Anna grinded her teeth together, noticing Lee started talking even louder in his commentary in an attempt to drown the song out.

Anna focused on Angelina, who threw the Quaffle at the Slytherin goal. Unfortunately, the Slytherin Keeper caught the ball and threw it to Warrington, who swooped past both Anna and Katie. As he got closer to Ron at the other end, the singing below grew louder, and Anna was sure it would shake Ron's nerves more than anything else.

 _Weasley is our King,_

 _Weasley is our King,_

 _He always lets the Quaffle in,_

 _Weasley is our King._

Anna shot down the pitch, hoping against hope that she could do something to help Ron save the goal. But she knew she'd never be able to reach the goals before Warrington.

He got close enough to shoot, and threw the Quaffle. Ron dove desperately, his arms waving, but the Quaffle soared right between his hands and through the center hoop.

Anna groaned lowly as the Slytherins began singing even louder. The score was now 10-0 to Slytherin.

Katie got the Quaffle and bolted back down the pitch. Lee's commentary was almost impossible to hear over the singing, and it was pissing Anna off more than it should've. So, she forced herself to bolt after Katie in case she'd need backup. Angelina followed right behind her.

Warrington bolted toward them, knocking his shoulder into Anna's and heading for Katie. Before she could dodge him, he slammed into her at full force and stole the Quaffle from her shaky hands.

Anna flew at him to try and take the ball back, but Warrington threw it right over her head to Pucey, who headed back up the field. Angelina tried to stop him, but he swerved easily around her. Thankfully, Fred sent a Bludger at him, knocking him in the back. Pucey dropped the Quaffle to Katie below him, but she dropped it, too, so that it landed in Montague's hands.

Anna laid down flat to her broomstick, speeding as fast as she could to try and stop Montague before he reached the goals. He barely dodged her, and Anna was afraid to look when he threw the Quaffle. It soared through the right hoop. There was a groan from the Gryffindor fans, but Slytherin supporters were ecstatic.

"Don't worry!" Anna called when she flew by Katie and George. "20-0 is nothing. We can still win this."

But that twenty soon became forty as Ron let two more goals in. The Gryffindor Chasers were desperate to close the gap and make a goal of their own.

Katie got the Quaffle and dodged around Pucey and Montague before passing to Angelina, who swerved around Warrington. Anna held her breath, hovering tensely with nothing else for her to do but watch as her Captain neared the goal…

"GRYFFINDOR SCORE!" Lee shouted over the crowd. "It's forty-ten, forty-ten to Slytherin and Pucey has the Quaffle…"

Pucey bolted down the pitch, heading straight for Anna. She lunged forward and slammed into him, but he merely passed the Quaffle to Warrington before throwing his elbow into Anna's chest. She winced and pulled back to watch down the field.

Warrington passed to Montague, who passed back to Pucey when he neared him, however Angelina intervened and nabbed the Quaffle from the air. She turned around and passed it to Katie. Anna turned to fly alongside them just as Katie got smacked by a Bludger from Goyle. Once again, Pucey got the Quaffle and turned around.

The sound of the crowd growing excited made Anna pause and look around. Her eyes instantly fixed on the two figures diving toward the ground. Her breath caught in her throat. Harry and Malfoy were neck and neck, diving for the tiny glint near the grass.

Finally, _thankfully_ , Harry's hand closed around the Snitch and Gryffindor's fans screamed ecstatically.

Anna threw her fists into the air and bolted for the ground, as did most of the team. However, her joy was nearly completely squashed when she saw a Bludger hit Harry right in the back, knocking him off the broom. Luckily, he was mere feet from the ground, but he still landed hard on his back.

Madam Hooch whistled shrilly as the team landed and gathered around Harry.

"Are you alright?" Angelina asked frantically when she reached him first.

"'Course I am." Harry answered grimly, taking the hand she offered so she could pull him to his feet. Anna glanced over to see Madam Hooch flying toward Crabbe.

"It was that thug, Crabbe." Angelina told him angrily. "He whacked the Bludger at you the moment he saw you'd got the Snitch-but we won, Harry, we won!"

Anna was yanked, literally, from the conversation by a pair of arms wrapping around her stomach and spinning her around. She yelled, laughing as she dropped her broom.

"We won!" Fred yelled excitedly, finally letting her feet touch the ground. The rest of the team landed, cheering and pumping their fists. Anna noticed, however, that Ron had landed and was heading slowly toward the changing rooms by himself. Harry turned to face the rest of the team. Anna and Katie approached him and gave him a tight group hug.

"We wanted to write another couple of verses!" Malfoy was yelling to Harry from several feet away. "But we couldn't find rhymes for fat and ugly-we wanted to sing about his mother, see-"

Anna pulled away, narrowing her eyes angrily at the blonde Slytherin.

"Talk about sour grapes." Angelina commented, sending Malfoy a disgusted look.

"-we couldn't fit in _useless loser_ either-for his father, you know-"

Anna gritted her teeth, but glanced anxiously at Fred and George. They were halfway through shaking Harry's hand when they stiffened, looking over at Malfoy.

"Guys-" Anna stepped in front of them.

"Leave it." Angelina ordered them, grabbing Fred's arm. "Leave it, Fred, let him yell, he's just sore he lost, jumped-up little-"

"-but you like the Weasleys', don't you, Potter?" Malfoy continued, sneering at the Gryffindor Seeker. "Spend holidays there and everything, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles even the Weasleys' hovel smells okay-"

Anna pressed her palms firmly against Fred's chest while Katie and Angelina each grabbed hold of one of his arms. His face was red with fury, his dark eyes were fixed on Malfoy as he struggled in their hold. Harry, meanwhile, was keeping George back by himself.

"Fred, look at me." Anna whispered up to him. "Fred. Ignore him." she ordered a little louder when he still glared over her head.

"Or perhaps," Malfoy continued, "you can remember what _your_ mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it-"

Anna growled, her teeth clenched angrily as Malfoy's words reached her ears. She almost considered releasing Fred and attacking Malfoy herself. First insulting Molly, then Lily? But she kept firm and realized Harry and George were no longer standing next to her and the others. Looking quickly over her shoulder, she realized they were sprinting for Malfoy.

Harry drew his fist back and Anna's mouth fell open as he slammed it into Malfoy's stomach.

"Harry! HARRY! GEORGE! _NO_!" Angelina shouted while Katie shouted for them to stop. Anna just focused on keeping Fred from joining the fight, keeping her fingers tangled in his robes with her eyes fixed on the fighting boys.

Harry and George were both pounding into Malfoy, who was now screaming like a wimp. The crowd in the stands was also yelling, some appeared to be cheering them on.

Finally, a voice nearby cried, " _IMPEDIMENTA_!"

Harry and George were knocked back by the force of the spell.

"What do you think you're doing?" Madam Hooch screamed angrily as Harry jumped to his feet again. She was clutching her wand in one hand, her whistle in the other. Her broom had been abandoned several feet away.

Malfoy was curled up on the ground, whimpering like a baby with a bloody nose. George had a swollen lip, while Harry looked relatively unharmed. Fred jerked forward and Anna stumbled back a step before throwing her weight into his chest to stop him.

"I've never seen behavior like it!" Madam Hooch continued to rant. "Back up to the castle, both of you, and straight to your Head of House's office! Go! _Now_!"

Harry and George turned on their heels and stormed off the pitch toward the castle. Anna continued her firm hold on Fred while someone helped Malfoy walk off the field toward the castle, too.

"Fred?" she asked hesitantly. The other girls slowly released their holds on him, but Anna kept a firm grip on his robes. Fred was glaring after Malfoy and the Slytherin team. "Fred, please look at me." she asked gently, lifting a hand to place it gently on his cheek. He released a hard breath through his nose before dragging his eyes down to hers. "We can get back at Malfoy another way." she whispered. "I understand how upset you are, I was tempted to attack him, too, believe me. But this isn't the way to do it. Let's get changed and go up to the common room. Harry and George will meet us there after they talk to McGonagall. She won't be too harsh on them when she hears what he was saying."

XXX

"Banned." Angelina said in a hollow voice later that evening. "Banned. No Seeker and no Beaters…What on earth are we going to do?"

Anna sat on the couch next to Fred, her elbows on her knees. Turned out, McGonagall _would_ have let them off relatively easy,…but Umbridge wouldn't. Umbridge had decided that Harry and George needed to be punished, and their tempers were too dangerous to be on a Quidditch team. And she decided that Fred would have joined in if he'd had the choice, so he was banned, too.

It sure didn't feel like they'd just won their first match of the year. Most of the team was slumped around the common room fire, depressed and angry. The only member of the team not present was Ron, who hadn't been seen since the end of the match.

"It's just so unfair." Katie mumbled in a numb voice. "I mean, what about Crabbe and that Bludger he hit after the whistle had been blown? Has she banned _him_?"

"No." Ginny grumbled miserably. Her and Hermione were sitting on either side of Harry. "He just got lines, I heard Montague laughing about it at dinner."

Anna's fist clenched of it's own accord, her teeth gritting angrily for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"And banning Fred when he didn't even do anything!" Angelina complained furiously, slamming her fist down on the end table.

"It's not my fault I didn't." Fred growled with an ugly, angry look on his face that Anna rarely saw. She looked sadly up at him. "I would've pounded that little scumbag to a pulp if you three hadn't been holding me back."

Anna chewed her lip before hesitantly resting her head on his shoulder. She worried he'd pull away, but he shifted and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He held her tightly, but she sensed he needed it.

Harry had let his Snitch go, and it was zooming around the room. Anna's eyes followed it in a daze, unsure what to think and feel. Crookshanks was jumping from chair to chair in an attempt to catch the Snitch.

"I'm going to bed." Angelina announced several minutes later, slowly standing up. "Maybe this will all turn out to have been a bad dream…Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and find we haven't played yet…"

Katie and Ginny went up a moment later.

"We might as well go to bed, too." George mumbled, standing up. Anna lifted her head from Fred's shoulder so he could stand up, too. She climbed to her feet and followed them.

"Guys?" she called quietly, making them stop at the foot of the boys' staircase. They turned to look solemnly at her. "I'm sorry this had to happen." she whispered, unsure what to say. She stepped forward and wrapped an arm around a twin each. "Everything will get better." she whispered into George's shoulder. They both wrapped their arms around her, too, squeezing her close.

"Thanks, Anna." George mumbled into the side of her head. They pulled away and George gave her a very small, fake smile before heading up the stairs. Anna fixed her gaze on Fred, who hadn't gone up yet, and found that he was staring at her.

"You really think everything'll get better?" he asked doubtfully.

Anna smiled slightly. "I don't know. But we can hope, right? And I know you would hate it if I said 'it's just Quidditch', but if you take everything else into account, it could be a lot worse, right?"

Fred smiled slightly, nodding his head. "I suppose that's true." Taking a step closer to her, Fred lifted a hand and rested it on the side of her head, tilting her face up more for him. Anna gave him a smile, and he returned it before leaning down and giving her a sweet kiss.

When they pulled away, Anna opened her eyes and stared up into his.

"Love you." he murmured.

"I love you, too." she whispered. "Have a good night."

"You too." he grinned slightly. "Sweet dreams."


	8. Snake Attack

It snowed overnight, and Annabelle woke up on Sunday morning to find two feet of snow on the ground. Thinking about how much this would cheer the twins up, she threw her covers off and hurriedly dressed in her winter cloak and boots, grabbing the rest of her things. She hurried down the girls' staircase, across the common room, and up the boys' staircase.

She threw the seventh year boys' door open and hurried inside.

"Wake up." she ordered, bouncing on Fred's bed. "Fred, George, wake up. It snowed last night. Let's go." she ordered, continuously prodding Fred's shoulder with her fingers.

Fred groaned, rolling onto his back and looking up at her. "What are you rambling about now?" he mumbled, rubbing his eye with a fist.

"It snowed." she told him clearly. "Let's go play in the snow."

Fred sat up quickly and looked out the nearest window. Sure enough, it was an endless expanse of white. Grabbing his pillow, Fred chucked it at George in the next bed over.

"Oi! Georgie! It snowed, let's go!"

George bolted upright, looking around excitedly. He saw the window and leapt off his bed, hurrying to his trunk to get changed.

"I'll meet you in the common room." Anna told them, hurrying out of the room to wait downstairs. They joined her in about a minute, then they all hurried to the Great Hall for a couple pieces of toast each before going outside to play.

Anna slowed when they got outside, letting the twins race past her. With their backs facing her, she bent down to scoop some snow into her mitten-covered hands. Patting it into a ball, she drew her hand back, aimed, and chucked it right into the back of Fred's head.

He jerked in surprise, looking over his shoulder in surprise. When his eyes landed on her, he smirked deviously.

"Oh, it's on." he told her, scooping snow up into his own hands. George quickly did the same, and it was soon an all-out war. There were no specific sides, they attacked each other equally. Before long, several people from a couple other Houses joined them in their snowball fight, which lasted into the afternoon.

"Oi, Georgie, Anna, come here." Fred called. Anna and George approached him, somewhat hesitantly in case he was trying to trick them. "Look up there." he ordered, pointing up at Gryffindor Tower. "That's a window into the common room." he explained, referring to one of the windows on the tower.

"What's your point?" Anna asked, looking back at him.

Fred winked at her before waving his wand over a pile of snowballs at his feet. The bewitched snowballs flew up into the air one at a time and hit the window repeatedly. George laughed, quickly waving his wand to make more snowballs and do the same. Anna shook her head at them, but couldn't help smiling at them. She'd been worried they'd still be bitter about being banned from Quidditch, and they probably were, but she was relieved they were having some fun.

After several minutes, their efforts were rewarded when someone threw the window open and Ron stuck his head out.

"OI! I am a prefect and if one more snowball hits this window-OUCH!"

Fred and George laughed, high-fiving to celebrate George's amazing throw, which had hit Ron in the face. Ron's red face, now blotched with white snow, disappeared back inside and he slammed the window shut.

Anna shook her head at them again, but got an idea. She scooped up two left over snowballs and crept up behind the twins. Then, she slammed a snowball each down on their heads.

"Hey!" they shouted, but Anna had spun around and bolted back across the courtyard. "Get back here!" one of them shouted, but Anna continued running. It was difficult with the snow, but she ran as fast as she could. She ran around a tree, only for someone to intercept her around the other side of the tree. She squealed in surprise when an arm wrapped around her stomach and lifted her off the ground.

"Fred!" she laughed, wiggling to try and get loose. He just laughed and fell backwards into the snow, taking her down with him. She tried to get loose again, but he rolled them over so that his body pressed hers into the snow. Her laughing quieted slightly, but her wide smile still stretched across her cheeks.

"Gotcha." Fred whispered, smirking deviously down at her. He had one arm under her back in the snow, his other elbow keeping him propped up as he gently rested his weight on her.

"What are you gonna do?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light and teasing.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he breathed, leaning down so that his warm breath brushed across her cheeks. She shivered, but not from the cold of the snow melting into her clothes.

He continued leaning down, his lips just brushing hers. Anna's lips quirked up slightly in a smile before her fingers suddenly attacked Fred's ribs. Fred yelped, jerking away from her, but she followed, continuing her assault on his stomach and sides.

"No! Ah, stop! George, I need backup!" Fred yelled through his laughter as Anna continued tickling him.

Anna laughed at him, continuing her torture until suddenly she was pummeled with snowballs. She screamed, scooped up more snowballs, and got up to chase after George.

XXX

The following Monday, Anna was happily surprised to see Hagrid at the staff table at breakfast. And she wasn't alone. Her, Fred, George, and Lee all cheered at the sight of him when they entered the Great Hall and sprinted past the tables to greet him. The guys shook his hands ecstatically, while Anna full on threw herself into him for a hug.

However, everything wasn't all cheerful. December arrived, bringing more snow and homework. And Anna was worried about Hagrid possibly being placed on probation after Umbridge inspected his Fifth year class, which involved thestrals. According to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, it hadn't gone very well.

But as they progressed through December, Anna reminded herself that Christmas break was coming soon. So far, the tentative plans were that her and Harry would go home with Sirius and Wren for Christmas. And from what Anna had heard, the Weasleys were spending their Christmas at the Burrow, and Hermione was going skiing with her parents.

Anna trudged down the corridor to the Fat Lady's portrait, saying the password to be let in. She stumbled inside, blowing onto her cupped hands to warm them up. Her eyes landed easily on Fred and George in the corner and she headed for them. She came up behind Fred and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Hi." she sighed.

"Hey." Fred grinned up at her, one of his hands gently grabbing her wrist.

"How was practice?" George asked in a dull voice. Him, Fred, and Harry were still miserable without being able to play Quidditch, which Anna had just returned from.

"Well, it was nothing too exciting." she admitted honestly, not moving from her position hugging Fred from behind. "I mean, with only Chasers and a Keeper, we just practiced passing and helped Ron practice protecting the goals. He's really good when people aren't booing him and singing that stupid song."

"Yeah. So when are the tryouts to get new players?" Fred asked, his voice also a bit dull.

"Couple weeks, I think. Just before Christmas break." she admitted quietly. "So, anyway, on a different note," she added, partially to change the subject, "I finished all my homework for the day, so I've got a free evening." she announced temptingly to Fred. "Wanna do something?"

"Sure. You can help us make another batch of Canary Creams." Fred suggested with a smile. Anna's faltered only slightly at the suggestion.

"Oh, um, sure, but…well, I was thinking we could do something, just the two of us." she explained uncertainly.

"Oh. Well, I'd love to, but we're in the middle of shop stuff." Fred explained, frowning apologetically up at her over his shoulder. "But maybe when we're done, or another time? You could still help us with this, if you want."

"Yeah, sure." Anna agreed with a small smile, pulling away so she could sit in the chair next to him.

"Oh!" Fred turned to her. "For the record, I haven't forgotten. I am going to plan our next date, I've just been busy."

Anna laughed softly, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "I know."

XXX

Anna followed Angelina and Katie down the corridor on the seventh floor, heading for the last D.A. meeting before Christmas holidays. She groaned, rubbing her aching shoulder with her other hand. They'd just finished their Quidditch tryouts. One of the several to try out for the Beater post had completely missed his target and hit Anna in the shoulder instead. It wasn't too serious, but it certainly left a large bruise.

Alicia met up with them just as they reached the door to the Room of Requirement, and all four girls headed inside. The three Chasers were cold and slightly out of breath from their tryouts and running to make it to the D.A. meeting.

"Well, we've replaced you." Angelina told Harry dully, taking off her cloak and tossing it into the corner.

"Replaced me?" Harry repeated blankly, clearly confused as to what Angelina was talking about. Anna walked past them all and sat on a pillow near the corner, pulling off her winter cloak.

"You and Fred and George." Angelina told him impatiently. "We've got another Seeker!"

Anna slouched down into the pillow and pulled her cloak up to cover her face, trying to warm up and trying to block out the conversation. She hated the idea of 'replacing' Harry, Fred, and George. Even if it was only the Quidditch team, she still hated the term 'replace'. It was impossible to replace them, especially Fred and George.

After a few minutes, someone plopped down on the pillow next to Anna's and an arm brushed hers.

"What are you doing?" a familiar, playful voice asked.

Anna sighed, pulling her cloak down so she could look up. Fred was reclined in the pillow next to hers, leaning on one side so he almost leaned over her. George was sitting on the pillow near her feet, turned to face her curiously. Both of them looked amused.

"Warming up." she answered dryly.

"Aw. That's not how you warm up, love." Fred teased, tossing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side. Anna rolled her eyes, but snuggled into his side nonetheless.

"How were tryouts?" George asked curiously. "Get anyone good? I mean, obviously they'll never be as amazing as us, but…" he trailed off smugly.

Anna snorted, shaking her head. "No, they're not nearly as good as you two. We got Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper as Beaters. They're not great, but a hell of a lot better than the others who tried out."

"And Seeker?" Fred urged, his hand running up and down her arm.

Anna smirked slightly. "Ginny Weasley."

"What?" they both exclaimed, sitting bolt upright and staring at her in shock.

"You're joking!" George accused, pointing his finger at her.

Anna laughed. "No, I'm not. Ginny tried out as Seeker and got it. She's actually really good."

"Huh." both twins huffed, still completely baffled. Anna laughed, nudging Fred's ribs with her elbow.

Only moments after their conversation ended, the room was full of members of the D.A., and Harry called them to order.

"Okay. I thought this evening we should just go over the things we've done so far, because it's the last meeting before the holidays and there's no point starting anything new right before a three-week break-"

"We're not doing anything new?" Zacharias Smith repeated in a disgruntled whisper that the whole room could hear. "If I'd known that, I wouldn't have come…"

"We're all really sorry Harry didn't tell you, then." Fred announced loudly, causing several people to snigger. Anna fought her own laughter, but was unable to smother her amused grin.

"We can practice in pairs." Harry continued when they quieted. "We'll start with the Impediment Jinx, just for ten minutes, then we can get out the cushions and try Stunning again."

Everyone got up and divided as asked. Instead of pairing up with one of the twins, Anna paired up with Katie. They bowed slightly to each other before readying their wands.

" _Impedimenta_!" Anna and Katie both shouted, but Anna was just half a second faster. Katie froze for several moments before she unfroze. This continued for about ten minutes. Anna and Katie were fairly evenly matched, though Anna was only slightly more experienced considering she was a year older.

Then, they all laid out cushions on the floor and started practicing Stunning. The space was too small for everyone to work at once, so half the group watched while the other half practiced, then they'd switch.

When the hour passed, Harry told them to stop.

"You're getting really good." he told them all, beaming like a proud teacher. "When we get back from the holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff-maybe even Patronuses."

A murmur of excitement rippled through the group as they moved around to grab their things.

"Patronuses! I can't wait!" Anna whispered excitedly to Katie as they both grabbed their cloaks.

"I know!" Katie agreed, bouncing slightly. "I wonder what mine'll be?" she added more to herself.

"Won't be long before we find out." she reminded her, heading for the door. "Especially with such a great teacher." she added loud enough for Harry to hear, grinning at him. He blushed, shaking his head at her. "See you tomorrow, Harry." she told him.

"If I don't see you, then have a Merry Christmas, Harry." Katie added.

Harry returned the sentiment and both girls walked out with Fred and George.

"So," Fred threw his arm over Anna's shoulders, "you doing anything the rest of the night?"

"Hm. No. I finished all my homework. Why?" she asked, silently hoping he was going to ask her to spend time alone with him, which she'd been yearning for for a while.

"Great." Fred grinned. "'Cause we were wondering if you had any ideas for those Headless Hats you suggested a while back. We can't think of how to make both the hat and people's heads invisible." Anna had suggested the Headless Hat idea after thinking about Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

Anna sighed quietly before she could stop herself. "Yeah, sure."

Fred's grin faltered slightly and he narrowed his eyes at her. "You okay?" he asked quietly, leaning down a bit so George and Katie didn't hear.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Anna responded, her voice shaking slightly under his close scrutiny.

"You're upset about something." Fred stated, not even having to ask.

Anna looked down, shaking her head even though she knew there was no chance of her convincing him otherwise.

Fred sighed quietly. "George, we'll meet you in the common room later."

"Sure."

Anna didn't look up, just rolled her eyes slightly when Fred took her hand and pulled her in a different direction.

"Fred, really, it's not a big deal." she told him quietly.

"So you admit there is something." Fred stated simply, looking down at her as they walked.

Anna sighed. "Maybe. Maybe not."

"Annabelle."

"Fredrick."

Fred sighed and pulled her into an empty classroom, closing the door behind them, locking it, and placing a Silencing Charm on it. "Now," he turned to face Anna, crossing his arms, "what's going on?"

Anna leaned back against a desk, crossing her arms, too. She didn't know why she was making a big deal out of the whole issue. It wasn't as if she was actually mad.

"Alright, fine." she consented. "I'm just a tiny bit disappointed that we don't spend any time alone." she admitted.

Fred's brows furrowed as he looked at her curiously. "That's it?"

"That's it." she admitted, nodding. "We're both always busy; me with studying, you with shop stuff. And whenever we hang out it's always with George, which I don't mind. I love George, he's my best friend, and your twin. But it almost doesn't feel like we're even…together, you know? We never spend time just the two of us." she explained quietly. "It's really not that big of a deal-"

"No, no, you're right. I'm sorry." Fred sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It just seems like, lately, whenever you have a free moment, I'm busy with shop stuff with George, and whenever I have a free moment you're busy with homework or…Quidditch." he admitted lowly. "And I still haven't got around to planning our next date. And-Merlin, we've almost been together a _year_ and we've only had one date!"

Anna laughed quietly at the shock on his face. "Fred, I don't care about having a big date. You don't need to plan something big and extravagant. I'd settle for hot chocolate in the kitchens or the common room."

Fred tilted his head thoughtfully as he looked at her. Then, a smile appeared on his face and he stood up straight from where he'd been leaning back against the door. "Okay."

"'Okay' what?" Anna asked curiously.

"Let's go get some hot chocolate in the kitchens, and you can tell me all about the Quidditch tryouts." Fred explained, waving his wand to unlock the door and taking her hand in his free one.

Anna smiled softly, walking at his side with their hands linked. "I'd love that."

XXX

"Ms. Black. Ms. Black, wake up!"

Anna blinked her eyes open, seeing McGonagall's face several inches above hers.

"Wha-Professor, what's wrong?" she asked groggily, forcing herself to sit up. She noticed McGonagall's face was pale and she was in her dressing gown.

"I'll explain on the way, but you must hurry. Something's happened." McGonagall whispered quickly.

Anna quickly climbed out of her bed, slipping on her slippers and pulling her dressing gown on as she hurried out of the dormitory after her Head of House. When she reached the common room below, she found Ginny, Fred, and George waiting.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"We don't know." George answered, looking worriedly at McGonagall, who was now at the portrait hole.

"Quickly, all of you. I'll explain on the way." she told them hurriedly. They all hurried after her and out the portrait hole.

"So, what happened?" Fred asked as they descended the stairs.

"It seems Mr. Potter had an…a nightmare of sorts. He claims he saw…your father being attacked." she admitted, not looking at any of them.

"What?!" all four of them exclaimed in shock.

"But-but it was just a bad dream, right?" George checked.

"We're not sure. He insists it really happened. Dumbledore is having someone check on Arthur as we speak, and Harry is with your brother in the Headmaster's office."

They didn't speak again as they hurried to Dumbledore's office. They were all too worried to speak. Finally, they reached the gargoyle statue and McGonagall gave the password before gesturing them up the revolving stairs. The walked up the stairs and pushed open a door at the top. Harry was inside Dumbledore's office, sitting in front of the desk, while Dumbledore was standing in front of an empty portrait. Anna guessed whoever had been in that portrait had left to do something.

"Harry-what's going on?" Ginny asked, her voice shaking as if scared. "Professor McGonagall says you saw Dad hurt-"

"Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order of the Phoenix." Dumbledore explained quickly. "He has been taken to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am sending you back to 12 Grimmauld Place, which is much more convenient for the hospital than the Burrow. You will meet your mother there."

"How're we going?" Fred asked shakily. "Floo powder?" His scared voice finally drew Anna's attention to him around Ginny's head. He was pale and looked like his knees might give out. Anna wanted to move closer and comfort him, but now didn't seem to be the time.

"No." Dumbledore answered. "Floo powder is not safe at the moment, the Network is being watched. You will be taking a Portkey." he explained, gesturing to an old kettle on his desk. "We are just waiting for Phineas Nigellus to report back…I wish to be sure that the coast is clear before sending you-"

A flash of flame in the middle of the office interrupted him, the flame leaving behind a golden feather that floated gently to the floor.

"It is Fawkes's warning." Dumbledore explained, catching the feather in his hand. "She must know you're out of your beds…Minerva, go and head her off-tell her any story-"

McGonagall left instantly. Anna guessed the obvious answer was that they were referring to Umbridge.

"The werewolf got hold of Sirius, and both are awaiting the children's arrival." a loud voice announced as Anna saw the wizard Phineas return to his frame. He looked like a clever wizard, wearing green and silver robes for Slytherin House, and he had black hair, dark eyes, and a pointed beard. "My great-great-grandson has always had odd taste in houseguests…"

Anna's brows rose just slightly. She'd known she was related, in some way, to Phineus Nigellus Black, given his surname and the fact his portrait was in 12 Grimmauld Place. But she'd never known she was directly descended from him. He was her great-great- _great_ -grandfather. And he actually seemed at least somewhat decent.

"Come here, then." Dumbledore ordered, waving all the kids forward. "And quickly, before anyone else joins us…" They all gathered around Dumbledore's desk, reaching out to touch a finger to the blackened kettle. Anna took a spot between Fred and Ginny. "Now, on the count of three…one…two…three."

There was a jerk in Anna's navel and suddenly they were all airborne. Her finger stayed glued to the kettle as they all spun in their air, their bodies banging together. Anna squeezed her eyes shut against the nausea that was building in her stomach and bubbling in the back of her throat.

Anna's feet slammed into the ground and she swayed, her knees shaking under the impact.

"Back again, the blood traitor brats, is it true their father's dying…?" a familiar, scratchy voice asked nearby.

"OUT!" a second familiar voice demanded.

Anna shook her head, her hand going to her forehead as her eyes adjusted to being still. They had landed in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place. It was rather dark apart from a candle on the table and a burning fire in the fireplace. A hand gently took her elbow and she looked up to see Remus looking grim. He gave her a forced smile when their eyes met.

Her eyes traveled around. Kreacher was leaving the room, muttering under his breath and glaring over his shoulder at them. Anna relaxed when she saw her father hurrying into the room, looking anxious. He was wearing his dressing gown over his pajamas, his long hair rumpled.

"What's going on?" he asked worriedly, stretching out a hand to help Ginny to her feet. "Phineas Nigellus said Arthur's been badly injured-"

"Ask Harry." Fred interrupted.

"Yeah, I want to hear this for myself." George agreed.

Anna stepped up and rested a hand on Fred's back, but everyone was staring at Harry.

"It was-I had a-a kind of-vision…" he stuttered. "There was a-a snake. And it attacked Mr. Weasley…"

Harry explained his vision briefly, and after he'd finished Anna glanced at the Weasley kids. They were all very pale, and Fred, George, and Ginny continued to stare at Harry for a moment after he'd finished speaking.

"Is Mum here?" Fred finally broke the silence, turning to glance between Sirius and Remus.

"She probably doesn't even know what's happened yet." Sirius admitted. "Remus just had time to contact me about everything. The important thing was to get you away before Umbridge could interfere. I expect Dumbledore's letting Molly know now."

"We've got to go to St. Mungos." Ginny insisted desperately. She glanced around at the others and seemed to notice they were all still in their pajamas. "Sirius, can you lend us cloaks or anything-?"

"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St. Mungos!" Sirius insisted.

"'Course we can go to St. Mungos if we want," Fred argued defiantly, "he's our dad!"

"How would you explain how you knew Arthur was attacked before the hospital could tell his wife?" Remus pointed out gently. Anna could see the sense in this argument, but she could also see why the Weasley kids desperately wanted to see their father.

"What does that matter?" George retorted angrily.

"It matters because we don't want to draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away." Sirius pointed out, and Anna could tell he was trying to keep his voice calm. "Have you any idea what the Ministry would make of that information?"

Anna slipped her arm through Fred's and grabbed George's hand in hers, because she could tell they wanted to argue.

Ginny spoke quietly, still very shaken, "Somebody else could have told us…We could have heard it somewhere other than Harry…"

"Like who?" Sirius asked tiredly. "Listen, your dad's been hurt while on duty for the Order and the circumstances are fishy enough without his children knowing about it seconds after it happened, you could seriously damage the Order's-"

"We don't care about the dumb Order!" Fred shouted. Anna tensed and squeezed his arm against her chest, her hand slipping down to hold his.

"It's our dad dying we're talking about!" George added in the same, angry voice. Anna bit her lip, giving George's hand a quick squeeze.

"Your father knew what he was getting into, and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order." Sirius snapped, losing his patience.

"Dad." Anna protested quietly. Remus stepped around the kids and rested his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"This is how it is-this is why you're not in the Order-you don't understand-there are things worth dying for." Sirius continued.

Anna could feel Fred's muscles tense against her chest and side, and she guessed talking about dying when their father had just been attacked hurt. Before he could lash out at her own father, she released George's hand so both her hands could be on Fred's arm, one holding his hand and the other cupping the inside of his elbow.

"Fred, calm down." she whispered gently, looking up at the side of his face. She could tell his jaw was clenched, his dark eyes fixed on Sirius. "Your dad's not going to die. Let's all just sit down and wait for your mum to get back with news."

"Anna's right." Remus agreed quietly, his hand still on Sirius' shoulder. "Let's have a seat and wait."

There was a moment of silence where nobody moved before Ginny took a couple steps and sank into the nearest chair. Then, Harry and Ron sat down, too. Anna gently squeezed Fred's hand before he moved to sit down. Fred and George sat on either side of Ginny, and Anna sat down in the seat next to Fred.

"Let's all have a drink while we're waiting." Sirius suggested before he raised his wand. " _Accio Butterbeer_!"

A half-dozen bottles of butterbeer came zooming out of the pantry, skidding along the tabletop until they came to a stop, one each in front of everyone. Anna kept one hand in Fred's as she drank, partially because he refused to let go of hers. The only sounds in the room were soft breaths, the crackling of the fire, and the occasional thud of a bottle being placed on the table.

Anna let her eyes travel to Harry across from her. He was paler than all the others, which was understandable if he really saw Arthur being attacked, but for some reason he also looked very guilty and sick. Part of her wanted to ask him if he was alright, but that was a stupid question and she knew enough not to ask boys those questions in front of people.

It was hard to say how long they sat in silence. But then suddenly, there was a burst of fire in the air above the table. Anna squeaked quietly in shock, but her reaction was drowned out by several cries of shock. A scroll of parchment fell with a muted thud to the tabletop, joined by a single golden feather that Anna recognized as a phoenix feather.

"Fawkes!" Sirius exclaimed, grabbing the parchment. "That's not Dumbledore's writing-it must be a message from your mother-here-"

He shoved the parchment into George's hand. George didn't hesitate in ripping it open to read aloud, _"Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St. Mungo's now. Stay where you are. I will send news as soon as I can. Mum."_ George looked up, his face paler than before as he looked around the table. "Still alive…" he repeated slowly, his eyes landing on his twin, "But that makes it sound…"

"It sounds like he's still alive." Anna finished gently yet firmly. "He was attacked by a snake, he's lucky to be alive, but that's what he is. We can't jump to negative conclusions."

Remus and Sirius nodded in agreement, but the others didn't really react. Ron was staring desperately at the back of his mother's letter. Fred reached over Ginny's head to pull the parchment from his twin's hands. He read the letter for himself, his other hand refusing to release Anna's. If anything, his grip tightened around her hand almost to the point of being painful.

When Fred finished reading the letter, he looked up and stared over at Harry and Anna followed his eyes. Harry still looked pale and ill, the hand gripping his bottle was white and trembling.

Feeling the burn of eyes on her face, Anna turned to look up at Fred, who was staring down at her. Finally able to look into his brown eyes, she saw how much fear and pain was there, reflecting back at her. On the outside he looked grown up, war-hardened, and even a little angry. But on the inside, she saw the eyes of a scared child worried for his dad's life. She didn't offer him a fake smile, she just leaned her head against his shoulder, squeezing his hand in hers in a silent promise that she was there for him.

The night dragged on and no one spoke unless they were asking for the time or reassuring each other that everything was fine. Sirius suggested one time that they go to bed, but he knew as he spoke that no one would agree. The flame of the candle slowly sunk as it burned away the stick of wax.

Anna watched the shadow of her bottle flicker with the flame's movement. Her body was exhausted, but she knew she'd never be able to fall asleep. She'd be too anxious and on edge, waiting for a letter or word on Arthur's condition. In a way, she knew how the Weasleys felt. Sure, her father hadn't really been in danger of dying, but she'd been forced to wait around, wondering what his fate was on a couple occasions.

Anna winced slightly in surprise when Fred's head slowly lowered sideways near hers. Turning, she smiled sadly. His eyes were closed and his head was tilted to one side as he dozed off. Anna carefully scooted her chair closer to his so she could lean her head on his shoulder and his head could rest atop hers. This way, his neck wouldn't hurt quite so bad when he eventually woke up.

Ginny was curled up like a cat in her chair, but Anna couldn't tell if she was asleep or not, and she couldn't see George around both Fred and Ginny. Ron had his head in his hands, so Anna couldn't tell if he was asleep or not. Harry, Sirius, and Remus continuously glanced among themselves and the others in the room.

Anna's eyes were glazed over tiredly, fixed on a clock on the far wall. It was nine minutes past five in the morning when the kitchen door suddenly swung open. Anna's head shot up, accidentally smacking Fred's head with hers. He lurched awake, as did everyone in the room at the sight of Molly entering the kitchen. She was pale and tired. Fred, Ron, and Harry started to stand, but she gave them a tired smile.

"He's going to be alright." she told them, her voice weak, cracking with exhaustion. "He's sleeping. We can all go and see him later. Bill's sitting with him now, he's going to take the morning off work."

George and Ginny got up from their chairs and hurried around the table, hugging their mother tightly between them. Fred fell back into his chair, his hands covering his face. Anna wrapped her arm around his back, her other hand touching his shoulder nearest to her while she pushed her forehead into the crook of his neck. His shaky breathing echoed loudly in her ears, causing her to tighten her grip on him.

"Breakfast!" Sirius declared happily, jumping to his feet. "Where's that accursed house-elf? Kreacher? KREACHER!"

Anna didn't lift her head, but her eyes remained open and she was aware of the room enough to notice Kreacher didn't come when her father called.

"Oh, forget it, then." Sirius muttered. "So, it's breakfast for-let's see-nine-I should probably go get Wren and bring her and Aslan over, she was worried, so that's eleven…Bacon and eggs, I think, and some tea, and toast-"

"I'll get started on the cooking, you go get Wren and Aslan." Remus suggested, already moving toward the cupboards. Anna lifted her head from Fred's neck to see her father disappear into the fireplace with a flash of green. She kissed Fred's temple.

"I'm going to help with breakfast, okay?" she whispered near his ear. He nodded, letting his hands drop to the table so he could give her a grateful smile. She kissed his cheek quickly before standing up and hurrying to help Remus cook. She noticed Harry had the same idea, but he'd barely had time to get dishes from the cabinet before Molly hugged him. Anna ignored their private conversation, getting the eggs and bacon from the fridge.

Sirius returned a few minutes later, stepping out of the fireplace.

"Oh, Sirius," Molly released Harry and turned to Sirius, "thank you for looking after the children while I was at the hospital."

"I was glad to help, Molly, really. In fact, if it's easier, you're all welcome to stay here while Arthur's in the hospital." Sirius offered warmly.

"Oh, Sirius, I'm so grateful…They think he'll be there a little while and it would be wonderful to be nearer…Of course, that might mean we're here for Christmas…"

"The more the merrier!" Sirius told her sincerely. "I might spend a little more time here if there're more friendly faces."

Molly beamed at him before throwing on an apron and helping Remus and Anna with breakfast.

"Is Mum coming over soon?" Anna asked, noticing her dad had come back alone.

"She just needed to change Aslan and grab some things, but she'll be here in a few minutes." he assured her. Anna paused in helping cook to give her dad a tight hug, not having the time to do so when she arrived. After a few moments, she went back to helping.

"Sirius." Harry muttered. "Can I have a quick word? Er- _now_?"

Anna glanced up worriedly as her dad followed Harry into the pantry, closing the door behind them. Though, she forced down the worry at the thought that at least Harry had someone he could talk to.

Anna was whisking several eggs in a bowl to scramble when green flames once again erupted from the fire. She froze and stared eagerly as a familiar woman with brown hair stepped through with a baby on her hip and a bag on her shoulder.

"Mum!" Anna exclaimed excitedly, abandoning her cooking and racing around the kitchen to hug her mum tightly. Wren laughed, wrapping her free arm around Anna's back just as tightly.

"Well, it's nice to see you, too." Wren laughed, kissing the top of Anna's head. A tiny hand lightly smacked Anna in the forehead, causing her to open her eyes and look down at her baby brother.

"Hi, Aslan." she cooed, waving her fingers at him. To her delight, a big, toothless smile stretched over Aslan's cheeks, causing his chubby cheeks to bunch up and make his eyes squint.

"Yeah, you remember your big sister, don't you?" Wren cooed, looking down at her son. "Do you want to watch him?" she asked Anna. "I can help Molly and Remus cook, I'm sure your exhausted."

"Yeah, a bit." Anna laughed. "But I can watch Aslan. How's he been doing? I can see he's smiling now." she added the last sentence in a baby voice, tickling her brother to pull another smile from him.

"Well, he's been babbling a little, and he's rolled over a couple times." Wren admitted, giving Anna the shoulder bag before passing Aslan into her arms. "Everything you might need is in that bag, and obviously I'll be right in here if you need me."

"I know. Love you, Mum. I'll take him up to the drawing room."

XXX

Anna watched Aslan for about half an hour while Molly, Wren, Remus, and Sirius made breakfast. She convinced him to roll over by placing his favorite toy, a plastic key ring, next to him so he'd try to grab it. She also got him to laugh, though Fred and George arrived and made him laugh more.

After breakfast, everyone went to the rooms they'd stayed in over the summer to catch up on the hours of sleep they'd lost. Their trunks arrived from Hogwarts while they were eating lunch.

After changing in her and Ginny's room, Anna went to the twins' room. They were talking excitedly when she knocked on the door. Fred opened it and smiled at her while putting his left arm through the arm of his jumper.

"Hey." she smiled at them.

"Trying to get a free peep show?" George asked teasingly, flattening his hair with one hand.

Anna scrunched her nose up at him. "You're gross." she told him.

George just laughed at her, ruffling her hair as he walked out of the room.

"You okay?" she asked Fred quietly, running her hand through her hair to fix it.

Fred smiled. "I'm better than before. Thanks." He tucked her hair behind her ear, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Let's go."

When they got downstairs, everyone was talking excitedly over each other, some laughing at the bowler hat Mad-Eye was wearing. Him and Tonks would be escorting them across London to St. Mungos. Everyone was going except Wren, Sirius, Aslan, and Remus. Mad-Eye was wearing the bowler hat at an angle to cover his magical eye.

However, despite Mad-Eye's strange appearance, people stared more at Tonks and her pink hair when the group got on the Muggle underground. They rode the train all the way to the center of London, where they got off and followed Tonks up an escalator. The street they stepped onto was packed with people doing last-minute Christmas shopping at all the stores, pulling their coats close against the icy wind.

After walking for a little while, they reached a large, old-fashioned, red brick department store. Considering Anna had only arrived to St. Mungo's by Floo powder, she wasn't quite sure what to expect.

"Right." Tonks said, beckoning everyone to the window that was displaying nothing but a female dummy modeling a green dress and with false eyelashes hanging off. "Everybody ready?"

Everyone nodded, gathering around her. Tonks leaned in close to the glass and spoke to the dummy. "Wotcher…We're here to see Arthur Weasley." she said, her warm breath fogging the chilled window.

The dummy gave a tiny nod and beckoned to them with it's fingers. Tonks took both Ginny and Molly's elbows and lead them through the glass, vanishing from sight. Anna took both George and Fred's hands before they followed through the glass. Instead of coming out into the window display, they stepped into what appeared to be a crowded reception area. There were several people waiting to be helped, some looked normal while others had disturbing disfigurements.

"Over here!" Molly called after a few moments, leading the group over to a desk marked _Inquiries_. There was a bit of a line of several different people. It was at least a few minutes before their group reached the desk.

"Hello." Molly greeted the witch behind the desk. "My husband, Arthur Weasley, was supposed to be moved to a different ward this morning, could you tell us-?"

"Arthur Weasley?" the witch repeated, running her finger down a long list on the desk. "Yes, first floor, second door on the right. Dai Llewellyn ward."

"Thank you." Molly thanked her. "Come on, you lot."

"Wasn't Dai Llewellyn a famous Quidditch player?" Anna asked quietly as they passed through some double doors, heading down a corridor lined with portraits of Healers. Fred and George laughed.

They climbed up a flight of stairs and walked along another corridor.

"We'll wait outside, Molly." Tonks told her when they reached Arthur's room. "Arthur won't want too many visitors at once…It ought to be just the family first."

Mad-Eye growled in approval and leaned back against the wall. Anna released Fred's hand and moved to stand next to her cousin. Harry also moved to wait with them, but Molly reached out and pushed him through the door.

"Don't be silly, Harry, Arthur wants to thank you…"

The door closed with a click and Anna leaned back against the wall next to Tonks.

"So, how are things going between you and Fred?" Tonks asked with a smirk after a few moments.

Anna smiled, remembering the 'date' they'd had after the last D.A. meeting. It had been fun, sweet, and simple. "Pretty good. It's been difficult to get alone time with everything, but we're managing."

"Isn't your first anniversary coming up?" Tonks checked.

Anna nodded. "Our first date was last New Years."

"Got any plans?"

"Not sure. With what happened to Arthur, though…"

"Well, yeah, that's horrible, but there's nothing you or Fred can really do about that. You might as well do something nice."

"We'll both be stuck in Grimmauld Place." Anna pointed out, scrunching up her nose. "Not exactly a great place to celebrate."

"True. But from what I heard, Fred managed to make the Astronomy Tower romantic." Tonks pointed out with a knowing smirk.

"How about we talk about your love life for once?" Anna asked loudly, wanting to change the subject.

To her surprise, her cousin's cheeks actually turned a light pink. Before she could demand an explanation, however, the door to Arthur's room swung open and all the kids were herded out of the room. Before Anna could blink, Mad-Eye and Tonks entered the room and closed the door behind them. Anna joined the other kids as Fred raised his eyebrows at the door.

"Fine," he said coolly, rifling through his pockets with both hands, "be like that. Don't tell us anything."

"What are you talking about?" Anna asked curiously.

"They won't tell us what Dad was doing when he got attacked." Fred told her, his voice frustrated as he searched his pockets.

"Looking for these?" George asked knowingly, pulling several Extendable Ears from his pocket.

"You read my mind." Fred told his twin, grinning. "Let's see if St. Mungo's puts Imperturbable Charms on its ward doors, shall we?"

Him and George untangled the fleshy strings and passed them out.

"Go on, Harry, take it!" Fred insisted when Harry hesitated to take one, "You saved Dad's life, if anyone's got the right to eavesdrop on him it's you…"

Harry couldn't seem to fight a small grin as he took the end of the string. They all stuck one end of their own Extendable Ear into their ears

"Okay, go!" Fred whispered eagerly. They all released the other ends of their Ears, watching the flesh-colored strings wiggle like worms under the door. Anna held her breath, only hearing silence for a moment. Finally, though, Tonks's whispering voice gradually reached her hearing as if she was whispering right in Anna's ear.

"…they searched the whole area but they couldn't find the snake anywhere, it just seems to have vanished after it attacked you, Arthur…But You-Know-Who can't have expected a snake to get in, can he?"

"I reckon he sent it as a lookout," Moody guessed in his growling voice, "'cause he's not had any luck so far, has he? No, I reckon he's trying to get a clearer picture of what he's facing and if Arthur hadn't been there the beast would've had much more time to look around. So Potter says he saw it all happen?"

"Yes." Molly answered uneasily. "You know, Dumbledore seems almost to have been waiting for Harry to see something like this…"

"Yeah, well, there's something funny about the Potter kid, we all know that." said Moody.

"Dumbledore seemed worried about Harry when I spoke to him this morning." Molly whispered.

"'Course he's worried." Moody growled. "The boy's seeing things from inside You-Know-Who's snake…Obviously, Potter doesn't realize what that means, but if You-Know-Who's possessing him-"

Harry yanked his Extendable Ear from his ear and Anna also stopped listening. Her wide eyes turned to stare at him, and she wasn't alone. All the Weasley kids had turned to stare at him, too. All of them, she guessed, were scared like she was. If Voldemort was possessing Harry, what could that mean for the future? What could he do?

XXX

"Harry's not still in bed, is he?" Anna asked, hanging another paper snowflake from the dining room ceiling.

"Don't think so." Fred answered, waving his wand to hang streamers around the room.

"No, I think Ron mentioned he was hanging out in the drawing room." George answered from across the room.

After the group had returned from St. Mungo's the day before, Harry had gone straight to bed and hadn't come down to dinner. Anna hadn't seen him since.

Meanwhile, after breakfast the following morning, everyone decided to put up Christmas decorations. Anna could hear her dad in another room singing Christmas carols, carrying Aslan around since Wren dropped him off before she headed to work.

"How're you all doing in here?" Molly asked, entering the room with a tray of sandwiches. "Ah, it looks lovely." she smiled, looking around the room as she placed the tray on the dining room table. "Here's lunch. Why don't you all take a break? I'll go let the others know lunch is ready."

"Thanks Mum."

"Thanks." the twins and Anna chorused as they took seats at the table to begin eating.

"Hey, I thought of something for the shop a couple weeks ago, but I haven't gotten around to bringing it up." Anna announced quietly as she took a sandwich off the plate.

"What?" they asked eagerly, taking huge bites of their own sandwiches.

"Well, Hagrid brought some Puffskeins to class a few weeks ago and an idea popped into my head."

"Puffskeins." Fred repeated slowly. "Yeah, Ron had one of those when we were younger."

"Didn't you use it as a practice Bludger?" George asked with a smirk. Anna instantly glared at Fred, who blushed and ducked his head even though he was still smirking.

"Anyway, what were you thinking?" he urged Anna, wanting to change the subject.

"Well, obviously, Puffskeins are popular pets among witches and wizards. However, they are a little bit on the big side. What if, as part of the WonderWitch line, we make miniature ones?"

Anna and the twins had decided to make a witch-specific section of their products, which they'd named WonderWitch. A few ideas they'd come up with included a pimple vanisher, love potion, and a daydream charm.

"Hmm." both twins hummed thoughtfully, turning to look at each other.

"That could work." Fred agreed thoughtfully.

"And we could make them a different color or something. I mean, to go with all the other WonderWitch products,…maybe pink or purple?" George continued, the familiar glint appearing in his eyes when they were onto a new idea.

"How would it work, though?" Fred asked thoughtfully, looking back to Anna thoughtfully.

"Well, we'd have to keep the Ban on Experimental Breeding in mind." Anna pointed out thoughtfully. "However, there may be a way to…breed them without having to worry about the Ban. Like maybe we could just take some Puffskeins, put Color Change and Shrinking Charms on them, maybe breed them like that. I don't know, I'll have to do some research on the specific laws of the Ban."

"Laws on what ban?" Ginny asked curiously as her and Ron entered the dining room.

"Nothing." all three answered before glancing at each other with smirks.

"Yeah, 'cause that's not suspicious." Ron muttered sarcastically, sitting down and grabbing two sandwiches.

Anna glanced at the door before looking back at the two youngest Weasleys. "Isn't Harry coming down to eat?"

They both shrugged. "Mum called him down for lunch, but I don't think he's coming down." Ron admitted.

"But he missed dinner and breakfast already." Anna pointed out worriedly. "He needs to eat."

"Well,…Hermione's coming over later today." Ginny admitted. "If anyone can talk to Harry, it's her."

Anna nodded slowly, her eyes trailing distractedly to the window across from her. The sky was covered by thick, grayish-white clouds that threatened snow later in the day. Maybe that could be a good sign. Having a white Christmas might just be a sign of hope they needed.


	9. First Anniversary

Annabelle stretched up on her tiptoes, straining to place a fairy high on the Christmas tree. Mundungus had brought it by and they placed it in the drawing room in front of the Black family tree, blocking it from sight. Anna was humming along with a Christmas song that was playing on a nearby radio, not realizing she wasn't alone in the room.

Just as her heels returned to the ground, someone grabbed her hand and spun her around. She gasped, bumping into someone's chest. Looking up into Fred's smiling face, Anna smiled as one of his hands rested on her waist, his other holding her hand.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping decorate the banisters?" Anna laughed as Fred danced her around the room.

"I'll get back to it when the song's over." Fred told her, slowly twirling her under his arm before pulling her close again. Anna laughed quietly, resting her head on his chest. "Do we have any specific plans for New Years?" he asked quietly, resting his chin on her head.

"Hm. Don't think so." she answered. "Why?"

"'Why?'" he repeated incredulously. "' _Whyyyy_?'" Anna laughed and tried to wiggle away when he started poking and prodding at her ribs, hitting nearly every ticklish spot he could. He wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close so she couldn't escape. "Did you honestly forget what December 31 is, Ms. Black? I'm insulted." he joked.

Anna laughed, her sides aching as she fell against his chest, which was shaking with suppressed laughter. "No, I didn't forget!" she exclaimed through her laughter. "I just didn't know if you wanted to do something specifically."

"Well, I don't have much planned out. And we can't really leave this house." Fred admitted. "But I'd like to think of something, if you're up for it? It won't be fancy like our first date, but…"

"I'm sure I'll love it just the same." Anna whispered, leaning up and kissing his cheek.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." a familiar voice spoke from the door. Anna quickly pulled away, standing up straight and fixing her shirt, which was rumpled. She tried not to look guilty as she looked at her father standing in the doorway with Aslan on his hip.

"Um, no, nothing." Fred chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "We were just dancing."

"I can see that." Sirius said, though to Anna's relief, he was smiling and looked amused. "Anyway, I need to help the under-aged kids downstairs with some work that requires magic, so I was hoping Anna could watch Aslan."

Hermione had arrived the evening before, like Ginny said she would, and by some miracle her, Ron, and Ginny managed to talk some sense into Harry and he'd stopped hiding from everyone. Since then, he'd been helping everyone else cleaning and decorating 12 Grimmauld Place. And since Anna's Mum still had to work during the day, she would drop Aslan off in the morning, arrive at Grimmauld Place for dinner, and then leave for the night since no one wanted Aslan sleeping in the gloomy house.

"Yeah, sure." Anna agreed easily. Sirius approached her and passed the infant into her arms. The baby was tangled in his favorite blanket and Sirius passed her a couple small toys for him to play with.

"Now, you be good for your big sister." Sirius told his son, ducking his head slightly to look into Aslan's eyes. "And you make sure you make a _really_ smelly diaper if they start kissing, you hear?"

"Dad!" Anna exclaimed, blushing while her brother laughed his adorable baby laugh. Fred was also chuckling at her expense, but his cheeks were slightly pink.

"I'm just giving him something to do." Sirius insisted with a smirk before kissing the top of Anna's head and leaving the room.

Anna groaned, shaking her head. "He's so…" she trailed off.

"Funny?" Fred suggested, smirking in amusement.

"Annoying." Anna deadpanned, crossing the room and laying out Aslan's blanket on the floor. Then, she gently laid him down on the blanket and placed his toys around him. Aslan smiled up at her, a bit of drool dribbling down his chin as he wiggled and kicked his legs.

When she stood and turned back to Fred, she noticed he was staring out the door of the drawing room, his head tilted slightly to the side. That's when Anna realized she could hear her dad singing a Christmas carol.

"Your dad sure is cheerful." Fred noted, turning back to her.

"I think he's determined to make this the best Christmas ever." Anna admitted. "I mean, think about it. We have to spend Christmas in this dump, which I know he hates. Add that to the fact that last year was supposed to be mine and Harry's first Christmas with him being a free man, but we had the Yule Ball, so this is our first Christmas with him. _And_ it's Aslan's first Christmas in general."

Fred nodded slowly. "Plus with You-Know-Who being back and a war on the horizon. And our dad being attacked." he added.

Anna smiled sadly, approaching him and wrapping her arms around his middle. "Yeah, I think we could all use a happy Christmas, huh?"

"Definitely." Fred agreed, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"You should probably get back to the stairs to finish decorating the banisters." Anna whispered after a few moments.

"Do I have to?" Fred whined, burying his face in the top of her head. "They're probably done with it by now."

"Possibly, but I'm sure there're other things for you to do. Do you want to risk your mother's wrath?" Anna asked with a small smirk.

"You…have a point." he admitted reluctantly.

"As always."

"Watch it." Fred warned playfully, tickling her ribs. Anna squeaked and tried to wiggle away from him. A loud giggle made them look back at Aslan, who had rolled onto his tummy and pushed his head up to laugh at them.

Fred chuckled. "Well, I'll let you get back to decorating in here. See you in a bit. And remember: New Years."

"I'll remember." Anna assured him with a smile.

XXX

On the evening of Christmas Eve, Anna was once again in the drawing room of Grimmauld Place. She was curled up on the couch, humming quietly to a Christmas song playing on a nearby radio while her eyes danced over the decorated Christmas tree.

The wooden floor by the doorway creaked, causing Anna to look over her shoulder. Her father smiled at her as he entered the room, a cup of eggnog in each hand.

"Hey." he whispered in greeting.

Anna sat up and accepted the cup he offered her. Sirius then sat next to her on the couch. He rested his arm on the back of the sofa and Anna snuggled into his side before taking a sip of her drink.

"What'd you get Mum for Christmas?" Anna asked quietly.

"A necklace." Sirius answered quietly. Anna smiled softly.

"I'm sure she'll love it." she whispered. "Can you tell me about Christmas before you were arrested?"

Sirius kissed the top of her head. "Well, you were about…five months old your first Christmas. And you got _spoiled_." he laughed. "I swear, you got more presents than everyone else combined. Between your mum and me, Wren's parents and Kendra, Remus, James and Lily, James' parents…much as I hate to admit it, even Peter got you something." Sirius grimaced briefly, and Anna couldn't help mirroring it at the mention of the man who'd betrayed her family. "But enough about him. We invited everyone over to the house for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Of course, Lily had to spend Christmas Day with her parents that year. Anyway, that first Christmas was crazy. You were practically sitting up on your own by that point. And I think you liked the wrapping paper more than your actual toys. You loved it when James and I buried you under the wrapping paper, couldn't stop laughing."

Anna laughed along with her dad, imagining herself as a baby peaking out from under a pile of ripped wrapping paper with a big, toothless smile and chubby cheeks, probably colorful hair.

"Wren whacked James over the head because he bought you a toy broomstick. I learned from his mistake and waited until Harry's first birthday to do the same." Sirius admitted, making Anna laugh again, tossing her head back against his shoulder.

"Your second Christmas was a bit quieter." Sirius continued. "But still a lot of fun. I took you out to play in the snow a lot that year. Of course, we had a lot of protective charms around the cottage that year, what with the war. And we weren't exactly Voldemort's favorite people. But I pulled you around in a sled in the woods a lot, and we made a couple snowmen. You helped me decorate the Christmas tree. Lily was a few months pregnant that Christmas, so she was even more enamored with you than usual since she knew she would be having one of her own."

"Was she worried at all?" Anna asked quietly. "Knowing that she was having a baby with a war and everything? Especially being a member of the Order?"

"She worried all the time." Sirius admitted quietly, the laughter briefly gone from their conversation. "Just like Wren did. Me and James tried not to worry so much, but deep down, we did. James and Lily were even more despised by Voldemort than Wren and I, so they actually considered going into hiding long before Dumbledore found out Voldemort was going to target Harry."

Anna turned and looked up at her dad, seeing he was lost in his thoughts.

"Mum told me they only got to bring Harry to Christmas once." she whispered, hoping to move back to happier memories.

Sirius smiled slightly, light flickering back into his gray eyes. "Yeah. His first Christmas was in 1980. He was about five months old. By then the Potters had gone into hiding, so a few of us snuck over to their house Christmas morning. Just us and Remus. The day before, while we were still home, you helped me make cookies for Santa. Of course, while you were asleep, Remus and I ate them, and we took some to the Potters' house the next morning. It was a simple, family event, really." Sirius admitted. "We got Harry a bunch of presents. You loved playing with Harry, and begged Lily to let you hold and feed him." Sirius suddenly swallowed thickly. "That night, after seeing how you were with Harry, Wren and I seriously talked about having another baby. Giving you a baby brother or sister."

A lump formed in Anna's throat and she snuggled closer into his side. She suddenly realized that less than a year from that night, her dad had been arrested and the Potters killed.

"We decided to wait until after the war was over." Sirius continued after a few moments. "Having one child during a war is scary enough."

Anna nodded in agreement. After a moment, she cleared her throat.

"So, what'd you get me for Christmas?" she asked playfully, tilting her head against his shoulder and batting her eyes innocently.

Sirius laughed, shifting his arm so he could ruffle her hair with his hand. "Nice try, Belle."

XXX

Anna was woken up by a loud rustling and excited whispers. She squinted her eyes, which were still heavy with sleep, and pushed herself up onto her elbow. Looking over, she saw Ginny and Hermione sitting at the foot of their beds, ripping things open and making red and green paper fly everywhere.

Anna's eyes snapped open when she realized it was Christmas morning. Throwing her blanket off, she ignored the chill in the air as she jumped from her bed and knelt on the ground by the pile of presents at the foot of her bed.

"Well, good morning." Ginny greeted her with a smirk.

"Morning." Anna returned with a grin, shifting through her gifts. She quickly found a familiar gift from Molly and ripped it open, revealing a new jumper the same as her others, red with a gold number four on the front.

Before she could open another one, there was a loud _CRACK_ and suddenly the twins were on either side of her. Hermione squeaked in surprise, but Anna just looked between them.

"Merry Christmas." she told them with a smile.

"You too." they chorused.

"Not necessary." George added alone, pointing his finger in her face.

"What?" she asked knowingly, smirking at him.

"Getting us new potion ingredients and new cauldrons." George explained though he didn't need to.

"Well, you won't let me help pay for any shop stuff, this was the only way I could help financially. And you don't owe me and can't return it, 'cause it's a Christmas gift." Anna pointed out proudly.

George eyed her for a moment before turning to his twin. "She's a tricky one, Freddie."

"Oh, I know." Fred agreed, staring at her with a smile. Anna blushed and looked back at her presents. "Thanks for the blanket." he added quietly. Anna had bought George a new cauldron full of ingredients they needed the most for their products. For Fred, she bought him a thick, knitted blanket of varying shades of blue.

"You like it then?" she checked, picking up a random present as she glanced back at him.

"Love it." Fred answered promptly, leaning back on his hands. "Perfect size for cuddling with someone, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, smirking playfully.

"Maybe that's why I bought it." Anna answered easily, turning back to her present to hide the slight blush she could feel spreading over her cheeks.

There was a moment where the only sound was the ripping and rustling of wrapping paper. Anna ripped open the present in her hand, which was from Remus. It was a new set of quills, all different kinds.

"You can breathe, mate. She obviously hasn't opened your gift yet." George's teasing voice whispered loudly.

Anna looked back at them, seeing Fred glaring at his twin. Curious, Anna turned back to her pile of presents and shifted through them until she found a small wrapped box about the size of her hand. She picked it up and saw her boyfriend's name scrawled on it. Glancing at Fred, she saw him watching her closely. Hiding a smile, Anna ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal a small, black box.

Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes flew to Fred's face. This couldn't be what she though it was. He couldn't be…

George burst out laughing. "Anna, it's probably not what you think it is." he told her, still laughing. Fred even chuckled, though he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

Blushing, Anna turned back to the box and slowly flipped it open. Inside was a leather bracelet. Mouth open in awe, Anna gently took it out and looked it over. It was about an inch wide, and there was an engraving on the smooth part of it, while the ends were woven until they clipped together. The engraving had two dates. The one on the top read _'9-1-89'_ Just below that was _'12-31-94'_. However, Anna noticed there was just enough space between the second date and the bottom of the bracelet to add more writing.

Looking back at Fred, Anna wasn't sure what to say. "Thank you." she finally whispered. "It's beautiful."

"You know what the dates are?" he asked quietly, scooting closer so they were side-by-side.

Anna looked down at the engravings thoughtfully. "Well, the second one is our first date. The other one…Nine is September…September 1st of our first year?"

"Basically the first time we met. Kinda." Fred agreed.

"There's room for another date at the bottom…" Anna pointed out quietly, her thumb tracing the space below the day of their first date.

"I left that there for any specific, special occasion that may pop up in the future." Fred explained secretively.

Anna had a fairly good idea what he was referring to, and it made her blush. Obviously they were only seventeen, so they wouldn't be getting married for a while, but she was pretty certain it was something she wanted in the future.

"Thank you." she finally whispered, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "I love it."

"Good." Fred laughed quietly, sounding relieved. "Can I put it on you?"

Anna wordlessly held her hand out. Fred took the bracelet and fastened it around her left wrist. When he finished, he lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

"Isn't my twin such a gentleman?" George asked teasingly.

"More than you." Anna joked.

"I beg your pardon!" George exclaimed, his hand flying to his chest. "I simply don't bring out my charm on you because you're my brother's girlfriend. But I'll have you know, girls fall all over themselves for me."

"I'm sure they do." Anna agreed sarcastically while Ginny snorted from across the room.

The twins let Anna finish opening presents before dragging her downstairs for breakfast. The house looked very different with all the decorations. The chandeliers were covered in garlands of holly and streamers, magical snow was piled on the floor throughout the house, and all the elf heads on the wall were wearing Father Christmas hats and beards.

They reached the kitchen to find Molly just getting pots and pans out of the cupboards.

"Merry Christmas." they chorused.

"Merry Christmas, you three. Good presents?" Molly asked warmly.

They all confirmed this. "Thank you for the jumper. I love it." Anna told her, hugging the motherly witch.

"You're very welcome, sweetie." Molly told her, kissing her cheek before releasing her. "And what's this?" she asked, lifting Anna's left hand to see the bracelet on her wrist. Anna instantly blushed.

"It's-um-Fred gave it to me." she admitted quietly.

"Hmm." Molly hummed knowingly, smiling at the bracelet. "Well, at least he's doing something right." she stated lightly, glancing at her son before going back to getting things out. Anna glanced awkwardly at Fred, hoping his mother's comment hadn't offended or hurt him. But he appeared unaffected, just brushing it off as he gave Anna a smile.

A tapping on the kitchen window drew everyone's attention. A gray Screech Owl was perched on the outside ledge of the window. Molly hurried over and pushed the window open. The owl merely swooped in, dropped a present on the table, and flew right back out the window.

"Well, that was quick." George commented. Anna, however, was watching Molly. The older woman had approached the present slowly, her face falling into the saddest expression Anna had seen in ages. Her hand slowly reached out and gently touched the present as if afraid it would vanish or attack her.

"Mum?" Fred asked quietly.

"Percy." she breathed, tears slowly trickling down her cheeks.

Fred snatched the present off the table, looking at the nametag on the wrapping paper. He quickly dropped it back on the table as if it'd burned him, his nose scrunched up in disgust.

George glanced between his twin and his mother, looking worried, before looking down at the present.

"It's Percy's jumper. He returned it." George explained to Anna quietly. Her face fell, realizing how much this must hurt Molly. Add in the fact that Percy hadn't visited Arthur or asked how he was doing, as far as she knew, and Molly must be in so much emotional agony.

"Don't cry, Mum." George begged her, seeing her eyes turning red around the edges.

"Yeah. Percy's just a huge pile of rat droppings." Fred added.

A loud sob tore from Molly's throat just as Remus entered the room. He paused, looking between Molly and the kids with wide, worried eyes. Anna hurried to his side and leaned up to whisper in his ear, "Percy sent back his Christmas present."

Remus nodded once before approaching Molly and gently leading her into a chair. Anna, wanting to help somehow, waved her wand to start the tea kettle.

Fred grabbed Anna's hand suddenly and, with a twist in her gut, they Apparated to the foot of Harry's bed.

"Merry Christmas." George greeted Harry and Ron. "Don't go downstairs for a bit."

"Why not?" Ron asked curiously.

"Mum's crying again." Fred explained heavily, squeezing Anna's hand in his. "Percy sent back his Christmas jumper."

"Without a note." George added. "Hasn't asked how Dad is or visited him or anything…"

"We tried to comfort her." Fred explained, releasing Anna's hand to move around Harry's bed. Anna followed him and both of them looked at the painting Harry was holding, which was from Dobby. "Told her Percy's nothing more than a humungous pile of rat droppings-"

"-didn't work." George admitted, grabbing a chocolate frog off Harry's pile of Christmas presents. "So Lupin took over. Best let him cheer her up before we go down for breakfast, I reckon."

"What's that supposed to be, anyway?" Fred asked, squinting at Harry's painting. Anna, also, tilted her head thoughtfully. It looked like a two year old drew a monkey or something, but that made it a little endearing. "Looks like a gibbon with two black eyes." Fred continued. Anna smacked his shoulder.

"It's Harry!" George exclaimed, pointing at the back of the picture. "Says so on the back!"

"Good likeness." Fred joked with a grin. Harry threw a journal at him, but it missed and hit the far wall, making the others laugh.

"Leave it alone." Anna told him, trying not to laugh. "I think it's sweet."

They waited a good half hour before heading downstairs. Thankfully, it was safe from any crying. Molly had the very obvious look of someone who'd had a good cry. Her eyes were red and puffy and her voice was stuffy when she greeted them, but she was at the stove making breakfast. Wren was helping her while Remus was holding Aslan on his lap. The baby was wearing a red and green onesie that Anna had never seen before. Probably a Christmas present.

Hermione left Kreacher a present, but he wasn't in his little bedroom under the boiler. Sirius just waved it off, saying he'd search for him later. Anna briefly found it concerning that no one had seen Kreacher since they arrived from Hogwarts, but Fred easily distracted her, and then Molly and Wren set the table for breakfast.

Bill stopped by after breakfast, and everyone hung around until lunch. They all ate lunch together before their visit to St. Mungo's. Anna had planned on staying at home with her parents, but Fred, George, and Molly insisted she come. Anna's parents decided to visit their own home for a few hours before returning to Grimmauld Place to start making dinner. Anna, the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione, with Remus and Mad-Eye as escorts, got in a car that Mundungus found and drove to St. Mungo's. Due to a simple Enlarging Charm, they were all able to fit inside comfortably, though Molly hesitated in getting inside. Her kids all begged and insisted until she finally got in, sitting in the backseat between Fred and Bill.

"They outdid themselves." Anna commented lightly when they stepped through the glass into the hospital.

The reception area of St. Mungo's was more festive than their last visit. Red and gold crystal balls lit the room, looking like giant, glowing ornaments, and Christmas trees covered in glittering, magical snow and icicles stood in every corner, a gold star topping all of them.

"Yeah," Fred agreed as they crossed the room toward the stairs, "but they don't have my favorite Christmas decoration."

"Oh? And what's that?" Anna asked curiously, turning her smile towards him.

Fred smirked. "Mistletoe."

Anna rolled her eyes, shoving his shoulder while him and George laughed at her expense.

When they reached Arthur's hospital room, they found him propped up in bed with a tray of turkey dinner on his lap. Anna noticed, however, he seemed slightly sheepish for some reason.

"Merry Christmas, Dad!" the Weasley kids all shouted, each handing him a wrapped gift. Molly waited for them to move back before she greeted him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Everything alright, Arthur?"

"Fine, fine." Arthur insisted heartily. Anna's first thought was that he answered a little too quickly. She exchanged a glance with Fred and George, who seemed to think the same. "You-er-haven't seen Healer Smethwyck, have you?"

"No." Molly answered suspiciously. "Why?"

"Nothing, nothing." Arthur answered quickly, opening a gift on his lap. "Well, everyone had a good day? What did you all get for Christmas? Oh, _Harry_ -this is absolutely _wonderful_ -" he exclaimed, having opened Harry's gift of wires and screwdrivers. Anna watched Molly, who was still looking at her husband suspiciously. When Arthur leaned forward to shake Harry's hand, Molly peered under his nightshirt at his bandages.

"Arthur," she snapped, "you've had your bandages changed. Why have you had your bandages changed a day early, Arthur? They told me they wouldn't need doing until tomorrow."

Anna hesitantly took a step back, knowing Molly was on the verge of exploding.

"What?" Arthur asked shakily, looking like a terrified child as he pulled his covers up to his chest. "No, no-it's nothing-it's-I-" he trailed off, his shoulders dropping in defeat under his wife's glare. "Well-now don't get upset, Molly, but Augustus Pye had an idea…He's the Trainee Healer, you know, lovely young chap and very interested in…um…complementary medicine…I mean, some of these old Muggle remedies…well, they're called _stitches_ , Molly, and they work very well on-on Muggle wounds-"

Molly let out a sound between a hiss and a snarl, which seemed to be everyone's signal. Remus went over to the werewolf in the other bed who had no visitors and looked very lonely.

"I'm going to get myself a cup of tea." Bill muttered, turning to leave.

"We'll go with you." Fred agreed quickly. Anna hurried after the twins and Bill, leaving the room as Molly erupted angrily behind them.

"Dad's in for it." George laughed as they walked down the corridor.

"Mum's going to tear him a new one." Bill agreed.

They had to go all the way up to the fifth floor to get to the tearoom, and they spent the walk filling Bill in on everything at school. When they reached the tearoom, Bill told them to pick a table and he'd get the tea for everyone, but George decided to help his older brother get the tea, leaving Anna and Fred to find a table in the corner.

Anna sighed contently, gazing around the room, yet not seeing anything. She was just lost in her own thoughts.

"What?" Fred asked curiously, sitting across from her.

Anna blushed slightly, giving him a small smile. "Just thinking."

"What about?" Fred asked, giving her a smile because he knew her thoughts were the cause of her blush.

Anna smiled, lifting her eyes to meet his. "Just…wondering if we'll be like your parents one day. I hope we will." she admitted quietly.

Fred's brows furrowed curiously, though he continued to smile at her. "So you want to yell at me while I cower in fear for the rest of our lives?"

Anna laughed, reaching forward and shoving his shoulder. "Not that, you git! I just…Despite your mum yelling at him so much, and your dad's quirkiness, they make it work and you can tell they're completely in love."

"And we're not?" Fred asked teasingly, raising an eyebrow at her. "Is there something you'd like to tell me? Is this a one-way street now?" he joked.

"That's _not_ what I meant." she scolded, emphasizing 'not' by swatting his shoulder. She couldn't help smiling, though. "Your parents have been married for-what, almost 30 years or something? They've been together that long, and had seven children, two of which are the biggest troublemakers around," she added with a pointed look at Fred, who smirked proudly, "plus going through the last war, and every other struggle they've encountered,…and they're still happily in love. I want that." she ended in a quiet voice.

Fred's grin softened into a sweet smile before he reached across the table and held her hand in his. "Me, too." he admitted quietly. "And there's no reason we can't have that. I don't know about you, but I already feel 'completely in love with you'." he told her, quoting her words from earlier.

"Same here." Anna whispered. "Just don't expect me to have seven kids." she added sternly, partially joking.

Fred burst out laughing just as George and Bill arrived with two mugs of tea each.

"What are you two laughing about?" George asked teasingly.

"Probably an inappropriate joke." Bill guessed with a smirk, handing a mug of tea to Anna as he sat next to her.

"Ha. Ha." Anna laughed dryly before blowing the steam floating from her tea.

"Just talking about Mum and Dad." Fred answered honestly.

George laughed. "Mum's going to tan his hide for that one. What are 'stitches' anyway?"

"My grandpa had stitches when he was younger." Anna answered after swallowing her first sip. "He's a Muggle." she explained for Bill's benefit, since the twins already knew. "He'd been playing with some friends outside and smacked his head on the sidewalk. He was fine, from what he told me, but he had a nasty gash on his head that needed stitches. They basically sew your skin back together."

Fred and George scrunched up their noses in disgust. "That's messed up!" they exclaimed.

Anna rolled her eyes while Bill chuckled at them.

XXX

"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready?"

Anna looked over her shoulder to see Ginny and Hermione entering the kitchen.

"I am. I'm making this." she informed them, gesturing to the chocolate cake she'd just finished frosting. Her mother had supervised Anna's baking, but other than that, Anna was proud to say she'd made it all by herself.

"Ooh. Fred's going to love that." Ginny noted. "There'll be leftovers, right?"

Anna snorted. "Hard to say. You know how Fred is with his chocolate." she joked.

Ginny sighed. "True." Then, before Anna could stop her, Ginny's finger shot out and swiped some of the chocolate frosting from the bottom of the cake. She stuck it in her mouth and hummed. "It's good." she assured Anna, who laughed at her.

"Gee, thanks. Now get your grubby fingers away from it." she ordered, shooing her hands at the younger redhead.

She hid the cake in her room before changing. Fred had told her to dress warm, because they were apparently going out somewhere, so she pulled on her new jumper and old jeans and grabbed her winter cloak and Gryffindor scarf in case she needed them. She headed down the stairs and waited in the front hallway that lead to the front door. She was only waiting for a minute before Fred came down the stairs at the same time Anna's mother came up from the kitchen.

"Now, when will you two be coming back?" she asked.

Anna glanced at Fred, since she didn't know what they were doing.

"We probably won't be more than a few hours, so we'll be back no later than nine." he assured her.

"Alright. Just remember to be careful. Don't let anyone see you come back here, and don't let any Muggles see you use magic." Wren told them sternly.

"We know, Mum." Anna told her, trying not to roll her eyes.

"Alright, well, have fun. Be safe." Wren told them, giving them both a hug. "And try to remember to knock when you get back. No one will be pleased if the doorbell wakes your grandmother's portrait."

"Okay, Mum. Love you."

"Love you, too. Have fun."

Fred opened the door and let Anna walk out first. She slipped her cloak on and wrapped her scarf around her neck. Fred closed the door as he stepped out onto the front steps. He took Anna's hand and lead her quickly across the street.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"You'll see." Fred told her with a smirk. "Hold on." he told her, tightening his grip on her hand. Then, with a twist, they disappeared and reappeared somewhere else. Anna looked around and found a park with a playground in the distance and a large garden.

"Wow." she breathed, looking around. There was a light flurry of snowflakes falling from the sky. The sun had set a couple hours ago, so it was relatively dark out, the only sources of light were the many lampposts, which reflected light off the snow.

"I found out about this park, it's only about a mile away from Grimmauld Place. There's a couple markets around that we can buy some food, and we can walk around, sit on some of the benches, or even play on the playground if you want. Then I was thinking we could head back to the house and drink cocoa in front of a fireplace." Fred explained, looking around before looking down at Anna thoughtfully.

She smiled softly and nodded. "I'd like that."

"Great. Sooo…hotdogs?" Fred asked with a laugh. Anna laughed.

"Hotdogs sound great. Do you have Muggle money to pay for them?"

"Yeah. Bill helped me exchange a few Galleons for Muggle money, so I've got enough to buy us each a couple hotdogs."

They went to a hotdog vendor and bought a couple each, eating them as they walked along the sidewalk through the park. When they came to a wooden bench, Fred stealthily waved his wand, making the snow on the bench vanish so they could sit on it without getting their bums wet. They sat side-by-side, Fred's arm draped over the back and around Anna's shoulders so she could lean into his side while she finished her last hotdog.

"So, what made you think of going to a park for our date?" she asked curiously before putting what was left of her hotdog in her mouth.

"Well, I heard about it near the end of summer, and I wanted to check it out for a while. Unfortunately, seeing as we're normally not allowed out so we don't risk exposing headquarters, there weren't many opportunities to come here." Fred explained. "But when I was thinking about what I wanted to do for our anniversary, I really wanted to bring you here, just to see what the place was like. Plus, after everything that's happened this month, I think we could both use the fresh air and freedom. Not to mention alone time." he added suggestively with a wink. Anna laughed, bumping her shoulder into his side.

"So, you managed to convince our parents that it was safe?" she guessed, mildly surprised.

"Well, I talked about it with both our mums. I figured your mum would be more…accommodating than your dad, seeing as it would be our date."

"Good point." Anna conceded.

"Yep. And I mentioned if we went in the evening it would be darker, so it's unlikely anyone would see us leave or return to the house."

"Also a good point." Anna agreed, impressed he'd thought about it this much. "Well, I'm impressed. It was a good idea, and you thought about safety precautions enough to convince our parents. Are you sure you're Fred Weasley?" she asked jokingly.

Fred didn't answer, just smirked at her before tickling her ribs. Anna squealed in laughter, trying to lean as far away from him as possible. Unfortunately, this lead to her toppling right off the bench and into the snow. Fred fell after her, but she scrambled to her feet before his body could pin hers to the ground. Tossing a playful grin over her shoulder, she stood and ran through the snow toward the playground.

She could hear his footsteps crunching through the snow as he ran after her, but she bolted up to the playground and climbed up the nearest ladder. She glanced back at him as she reached the top, and he was nearing the ladder, too. So she ran across a rickety rope bridge to the other side of the playground. Fred was soon right behind her as she went down a long slide. Before she could get up and run away again, Fred slid right into her from behind, knocking her down into the snow.

They were both breathless and laughing. Anna was on her stomach in the snow, Fred on top of her back. She carefully rolled over so she could look up at him, their breath coming out in little, white clouds from the cold air.

Fred had a wide smile on his face as he looked down at her. His cheeks and nose were rosy red and his eyes glistened.

"We sure seem to end up in this position a lot when we play in the snow." Fred whispered, his big grin softening into an endearing smile. He was obviously remembering the day after him and George got banned from Quidditch. It had snowed overnight and they went out to play, leading to Anna and Fred being in this very same position.

"Hm. You must like this position, seeing as it's always you who puts us in it." Anna teased quietly.

"What's not to like?" he joked, leaning his head down slightly so his warm breath tickled her cheeks. Anna blushed, her eyes lowering to avoid his, only for them to land on his lips. She watched them move when he started talking again, "You know, we didn't get to kiss properly last time we were in this position. Probably because _someone_ decided to start tickling me instead. Not that I'm naming any names." he added sarcastically.

"Hm, now there's an idea." Anna murmured, smirking slightly as her eyes moved up to meet his again. He smirked back.

"Don't even think about it." With that, Fred leaned the rest of the way down and firmly planted his lips on hers. Anna sighed through her nose, her hands moving up to gently grip his hair.

It was hard to say how long they laid out there, testing the boundaries of their relationship. Surprisingly, it wasn't Anna's memories that ended their little snogging session. The snow under them had started melting and was soon very slushy, cold, and wet, making it easy for water to soak through Anna's cloak and into her jumper. When she pulled away and pointed this out to Fred, she half-expected him to just roll them over so he'd be on the bottom and they could continue. But he just smiled and got off her, offering his hand to help her up.

When they were both standing, Fred waved his wand, which blew warm air at Anna's cloak. She sighed at how wonderful it felt. When it was mostly dry, Fred put his wand away, took Anna's hand, and they started walking toward the path.

"It's hard to believe we've been together a year." Anna murmured thoughtfully, her eyes on the sprinkling of stars in the dark sky.

"Yeah." Fred murmured in agreement, shifting his arm to wrap it around her shoulders to keep her warm. "On the one hand, it doesn't feel like it's been that long yet. But on the other hand, it feels like we've been together for years."

"Well, we technically have. Just not as a couple." Anna pointed out with a smile, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, that's probably why it feels like that." Fred admitted, kissing the top of her head. "I didn't scare you earlier, right? You seemed fine when we were kissing, but…well, I just want to make sure I didn't…you know…"

Anna smiled gently up at him before leaning up and kissing his cheek. "I was fine, Fred. Better than fine, actually." she told him brazenly, hoping she wasn't blushing at her blunt admission.

Fred grinned widely, squeezing her closer to his side as they reached the path.

After a few moments, he spoke again. "Hey,…can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Anna answered, looking up at him.

Fred sighed, his foggy breath swirling in front of him. "Well,…okay, it's not really a question, but…it's more of a thought? Anyway, I've been thinking about something for a while, and I just wanted to throw it out there."

"Ooookay." Anna responded, dragging the word out slightly.

"I know that I want to get married someday in the future. I don't know if that's what you want, but…"

"Yeah, I want that." Anna admitted quietly. "But this isn't you proposing, is it?"

"Oh, Merlin, no!" Fred exclaimed, shaking his head frantically. "Your dad would kill me."

Anna laughed. "Then where's this conversation going?"

"Well,…you know how you sometimes…tense up or whatever when we're doing…certain things? Like snogging and stuff?"

Anna blushed, looking down at the snowy ground as they walked. "Yeah."

"Don't feel bad about it." Fred told her. "I just…I had this idea…What if we agreed to wait until after we're married?"

Anna blinked before looking up at him. "Wait, like…wait to have…sex?" she asked slowly.

"Yeah." Fred breathed, his eyes searching her face to get an idea of what she was thinking. "I just thought…for one, that would give you a little extra assurance. I mean, if we're snogging on my bed or something, you have that knowledge that I'm not going to push you to have sex. You don't have to worry about that, I mean, you don't have to worry anyway, but-"

"No, I get what you mean." Anna assured him.

"Good." Fred sighed. "And, I mean, even if I propose within the next year or whatever, that doesn't mean we have to get married right away. We could have a long engagement. And even when we get married, if you still don't feel ready, I wouldn't care. I just want you to feel comfortable."

Anna smiled softly up at him. "You're really considerate, you know that?"

"I know." Fred agreed, giving her a smug grin before it softened back into a small smile. "But if you, I mean, if you one day decide you feel ready, we don't necessarily _have_ to wait, if you really feel ready."

"No." Anna answered at once. Fred paused in walking and looked curiously down at her. "If we make this agreement, it goes both ways. I don't get special treatment. If we agree to wait, we _both_ agree to wait. Okay?"

Fred grinned. "Okay." he chuckled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. Stepping away from her, Fred held out a hand to her. "So, we wait until we're married to have sex."

Anna shook her head in amusement, her cheeks blushing as she took his hand and shook it. "Agreed."

Fred tugged on her hand, making her step forward so he could kiss her on the lips. He pulled away after a few moments. "Wanna head back? We can make some hot chocolate and warm up by the fire." he suggested.

"Sounds wonderful." Anna murmured, a soft smile on her lips.

So, Fred tightly gripped her other hand in his. With a twist, they reappeared behind some trees across the street from Grimmauld Place. With a quick glance around to ensure no one saw them, the couple hurried across the street and up the steps. Fred reached toward the doorbell, but Anna quickly grabbed his wrist to stop him. With a teasingly-exasperated look, she pointedly knocked three times on the front door.

It was a few moments before the door peaked open and Remus looked out at them. He smiled and opened the door the rest of the way, letting them into the warmth of the house.

"Back already? I thought Wren said you wouldn't be back till nine."

"I said that just in case, but I wasn't expecting us to be out that long. I don't want to piss off Wren or Sirius." Fred explained as they pulled off their wet cloaks.

"Good point." Remus nodded. "Here. I'll take your cloaks to hang up. Did you jump in a river or something?" he teased when they handed him the wet cloaks.

"No. We played in the snow." Fred answered with a slight smirk.

Remus raised both eyebrows at them. "Don't let Sirius hear you say that." he suggested quietly, though a grin was playing at the corners of his lips. He turned to head upstairs, though he had to pause as Kreacher ambled by in his path. Sirius found Kreacher in the attic a few days ago, and Anna had noticed a very slight change in the house-elf's demeanor. He seemed to be in a better mood lately, and actually submitted to orders as if he _didn't_ completely hate everyone.

Fred turned and looked down at Anna. "Everyone's probably in the drawing room. If you want, we can light the fireplace in mine and George's room so we can be alone. I'm just going to quick make up some hot chocolate and I'll meet you up there in a bit. That okay?"

Anna nodded with a smile. "Yeah, that's fine." She stretched up to kiss his cheek before heading up the stairs. She stopped in her room quick to grab the chocolate cake she'd hidden with a Disillusionment Charm. When she passed the drawing room, she saw that Fred was correct. Nearly everyone else was in the drawing room, talking, laughing, and goofing off. Anna almost wished her and Fred were joining them, but she'd spent time with all of them all break. Her and Fred hardly got any alone time. Besides, she still had a couple more days to spend with the others before they went back to school.

Anna went up a couple more floors before she entered Fred and George's room. She kept the cake in her one hand because she had a feeling if she put it down she wouldn't be able to find it again, since it was Disillusioned. With her free hand, she pulled her wand from her pocket and pointed it at the fireplace on the nearest wall.

" _Incendio_." she said, causing a jet of fire to shoot from her wand and into the fireplace. With that done, she kicked off her shoes and sat on the end of Fred's bed. She waited for a few minutes before Fred entered the room, a tray hovering behind him. On the tray was a teapot, two steaming mugs, and a small bowl of marshmallows.

"This doesn't look quite cozy enough." Fred noted. He pointed his wand at the floor around the fireplace, causing several big, fluffy pillows to appear. Then, he pointed his wand at the light in the ceiling, causing it to slowly dim until Anna considered the lighting very romantic, especially with the light from the fire flickering across the pillows.

"I think that's good. Now, Ms. Black, would you like to move to the pillows?" Fred suggested formally, bowing and waving his hand to said pillows. Anna giggled at him.

"I suppose. But I have something I think you'll like." she told him before waving her wand over her lap, removing the Disillusionment Charm and revealing the chocolate cake she was holding.

Fred's mouth fell open as he stared at it for a second. "Did you make that?" he asked in amazement, dragging his eyes from the cake up to her face.

"Yep. All by myself." Anna told him proudly.

Fred blinked at her before finally closing his mouth. "I don't think I've ever been more in love with you than in this moment."

Anna laughed, looking down in embarrassment.

"You can put the cake on the tray by the fire and have a seat." Fred suggested as he grabbed his blanket off his bed. It was the blue knitted one Anna had got him for Christmas.

Anna set the cake on the tray, which had floated to the ground by the pillows. She then plopped down on the pillows and grabbed one of the mugs. She put a marshmallow in her cocoa just as Fred sat next to her, draping his blanket over both their shoulders. As Fred had stated on Christmas Day, it was the perfect size for cuddling with someone.

Fred grabbed his own mug of cocoa before snuggling down into the pillows and pulling Anna into his side. They were quiet for a few moments, both staring at the small, dancing flame in the fireplace. "I can't believe you baked a whole cake." Fred finally murmured, smiling slightly before taking another sip of his drink.

"Yeah, well you did everything else." Anna pointed out with a laugh, gesturing to their little setup.

"That's besides the point." Fred laughed.

They spent the next couple hours drinking their way through the teapot full of cocoa and they ate over half of the chocolate cake between them.

"Ginny'll be happy." Anna murmured sleepily. After her second slice of cake and third cup of cocoa, she was full, warm, and drowsy. Fred had about the same amount of cocoa and three slices of cake, so he was almost as full, warm, and drowsy. Now, they were both snuggled down into the pile of pillows, still wrapped in the blanket. Fred had his arms wrapped around Anna's body, and she was cuddled into his chest with her head on his collarbone.

"Oh yeah?" Fred mumbled, his voice muffled by Anna's hair. "And why's that?"

"There's leftover cake." Anna mumbled, a small smile tugging at her lips even though she couldn't seem to open her eyes.

Fred chuckled. "Who says she gets any of it?"

Anna didn't answer, just sighed contently as she burrowed her face more into his chest.

Fred's eyes remained open, tiredly watching the dying fire in front of them. Then, from a couple floors down, he could hear the others counting down to midnight. "10...9...8..."

Fred whispered the numbers along with them, his eyes drifting down to the girl on his chest. He reached a hand up and ran his fingers through her hair. His fingers then brushed down her cheek to her chin, gently urging Anna's face up to face him. She hummed tiredly, but didn't open her eyes.

Fred studied her face, eyes tracing her relaxed brows and soft cheeks. "I love you, Anna." he whispered.

Anna hummed again, but a soft, sleepy smile appeared, making her look adorable. "Love you, too." she mumbled, making Fred smile.

"…3...2...1..."

Instead of saying 'Happy New Year' like everyone in the drawing room was shouting below, Fred kissed Anna's forehead and whispered, "Happy anniversary, Anna."

"'appy anniver'sy." she mumbled, half-asleep.

Fred placed a gentle kiss on her lips before letting his head rest back on the pillows and letting the heavy tiredness pull him under.

XXX

It was almost one in the morning when George tiredly dragged his feet up the stairs to him and Fred's room. He yawned widely, stretching his arms over his head as he reached the landing. He quietly pushed the door open, which had been open a crack, and stepped inside.

He paused and blinked a few times, letting his eyes adjust to what he was seeing. The light was dim and there were burning embers in the fireplace, all that remained of a cozy fire. And right in front of the fireplace was a large pile of pillows. George carefully stepped closer to the pillows and peaked over it, causing a smile to appear on his face.

Fred and Anna were curled up together, asleep on the pile of pillows. Anna's head was on Fred's chest with his arms wrapped around her. Fred's blanket was wrapped around them, though it wasn't completely covering them since it was mostly under their bodies.

George smiled warmly at them, not having it in him to wake them up or tell someone they were up there. Instead, he took the other blanket off Fred's bed and carefully draped it over the two of them, ensuring they'd both stay warm through the night.

With that done, George changed into his pajamas and literally fell into bed, falling asleep once his head hit the pillow.

 **XXX**

 **Aw, aren't they sweet?**

 **Let me know what you all thought of this chapter. Reviews make me feel loved! : )**


	10. Valentine's Day

"We should also find a way to make it so the bruise can't be removed." Fred added eagerly.

"Or, better yet, how about the only way to remove the bruise is using the Bruise Remover paste we made?" Anna suggested, lounging back on the couch in the drawing room. "That way they'd have to buy two of your products."

"Brilliant!" the twins exclaimed, Fred quickly jotting down another note on his parchment.

"I wish we had one of these when we were in Astronomy class." George sighed wistfully. "Give Kenneth Towler a good knock in the nose."

Anna snorted, shaking her head in amusement. It was the last day of holidays, and they were currently discussing a possible new product for the shop, a Boxing Telescope.

"Anna?"

Annabelle looked over the back of the couch to find her mother entering the drawing room. Wren was holding Aslan in a way so that he was basically sitting on her forearm and leaning back into her chest.

"Hey, Mum. What's up?" she asked, sitting up and leaning her back against the arm of the couch.

"Could you watch Aslan for a bit?"

"Sure." Anna answered slowly. "If you don't mind my asking, where's Dad and why can't he?" she asked curiously, holding her hands out for her brother.

Wren sighed, gently passing Aslan to Anna over the back of the couch. "Professor Snape's here to talk to Harry about something, and Sirius insisted on being there. You know how he is about Snape."

"Yeah, well, I can't blame him." Anna muttered, setting Aslan on her lap and turning him sideways so he could lean back against the back of the couch.

"Yes, well,…I want to be there, too. We're Harry's guardians, for one. And, you know, just in case I need to stop a fight from breaking out. Anyway, someone will come get you all when dinner's ready."

With that, Wren turned and hurried out of the drawing room and down the stairs. Anna watched her leave for several moments before looking down at her brother. She smiled at him when he turned to look up at her, and he gave her a gummy smile in return. Some drool spilled out of his open mouth, and Anna used the bottom of his little shirt to wipe it up. Molly said he was probably drooling so much because his first tooth would be coming in soon.

"You guys want to eavesdrop on them?" Fred asked curiously.

"You guys can, if you want. I'd rather stay here. Besides, Aslan wouldn't be quiet enough to eavesdrop." Anna admitted, letting Aslan grab her index finger in his tight grip.

"I'm just going to check." Fred decided, getting up and pulling an Extendable Ear from his pocket. He hurried from the room, leaving Anna and George behind.

George sighed, getting up from his spot on the floor and plopping down on the couch near Anna's feet. He smiled at Aslan, reaching over and tickling the baby's tummy.

"Hi Baby Padfoot." he whispered.

"If he's 'Baby Padfoot', what am I?" Anna asked curiously, a teasing smile tugging at her lips.

George tilted his head, his eyes surveying her for a moment. "Padfootette?"

Anna laughed, wanting to reach over and swat him, but she couldn't risk hitting Aslan by accident. Instead, she settled for saying, "You're a dolt."

Fred came back in a moment later, looking mildly disappointed. "They put up an Imperturbable Charm." he admitted, plopping down on the couch by George.

"Oh well. It's not like it's Order stuff." Anna told him.

"But what would Snape want with Harry? He hates him." George asked curiously.

"No idea. Now, how do we make a fist pop out of the telescopes?" Anna asked, wanting to get their minds back on track.

It was about five minutes before they heard pounding footsteps. They looked up just as Ginny stuck her head in the doorway.

"Dad's back! He's here! Come on!" she shouted excitedly before hurrying away again.

Anna and the twins exchanged excited looks before the twins got up and bolted from the room. Anna picked Aslan up and hurried after them as fast as she dared while carrying her baby brother.

They reached the ground floor just as the door opened and Arthur walked in followed closely by Molly. He was dressed in a mackintosh over striped pajamas.

"Dad!" the twins shouted excitedly just as Ginny hugged him. The twins hurried forward and hugged Arthur before Ginny could escape, sandwiching her against their dad. Anna laughed, shaking her head at the family.

"How are you feeling?" Anna asked Arthur when the three siblings pulled away.

"Never better." Arthur assured her with a smile as Ron hurried down the stairs and hugged him next.

"Now, kids, let's stop tackling your father." Molly told them sternly, though she was smiling. "Let's head down to the kitchen to start on dinner."

Anna wondered briefly if she should tell them the kitchen was being used for a meeting, but then decided not to. After all, Molly did need to start on dinner, and maybe they could catch a glimpse of what was being said.

The group headed down the stairs into the kitchen and opened the door.

"Cured!" Arthur proclaimed joyously. "Completely cured!"

Everyone froze when they saw the scene they'd walked in on. Sirius and Snape were both looking towards the door, but their wands were pointed in each other's faces. Harry was between them, a hand pressed to each of their chests to push them back, and Wren had one hand on Sirius's shoulder and another hand on his wand hand.

"Merlin's beard," Arthur finally broke the silence, his smile having vanished. "what's going on here?"

Sirius and Snape slowly lowered their wands, but they were still eyeing each other with disdain. Snape pocketed his wand, turned on his heel, and marched across the kitchen with his robes billowing behind him. Anna stepped to the side to allow him room to pass without him touching her. He passed them silently, but at the door he looked back.

"Six o'clock Monday evening, Potter."

With that, Snape vanished up the stairs and out the front door.

Anna hesitantly approached her parents, her father glaring after Snape with his wand still at his side.

"But what's been going on?" Arthur asked worriedly.

"Nothing, Arthur." Sirius assured him, breathing heavily. "Just a friendly little chat between two old school friends…" Anna seriously doubted that. Taking a deep breath, her father forced a smile. "So,…you're cured? That's great news, really great…"

"Yes, isn't it?" Molly agreed, leading her husband to a chair while Anna silently passed Aslan to her mother. "Healer Smethwyck worked his magic in the end, found an antidote to whatever that snake's got in its fangs, and Arthur's learned his lesson about dabbling in Muggle medicine, _haven't you, dear_?" she asked menacingly.

"Yes, Molly dear." Arthur answered meekly.

Anna smothered an amused smile. Fred passed closely behind her and whispered near her ear, "You really want to end up like _that_?" He was clearly referring to her comment in St. Mungo's about wanting to end up like his parents.

"Yep." she whispered, turning and kissing his cheek.

"Sirius, can you hold Aslan while I help Molly with dinner?" Wren asked.

"Of course." Sirius answered, taking the baby from his wife and sitting next to Arthur.

Anna and Ginny went to the cupboard to get dishes so they could set the table. As Anna made her way around the table, placing plates at every spot, she glanced up at her father. His bad mood from earlier had completely vanished from his expression. His eyes were bright and his smile cheerful as he bounced his son. It was a nice change from a minute ago.

XXX

The next day, all the kids going back to school had the unfortunate experience of riding the Knight Bus with Tonks and Remus. Anna had always been curious about riding it before, but it was not a pleasant experience. At least one person threw up, and Anna had felt close to doing the same.

Monday, their first day of classes, was relatively slow, and Anna noticed lots of D.A. members kept approaching Harry, and sometimes her and the twins, asking if there would be a meeting that evening. All Anna knew was that they couldn't because Harry had to meet with Snape. He kept telling people he had to take Remedial Potions, but Anna highly doubted Snape would waste his time with that.

That same day, Anna and the twins started selling their newest completed product: Headless Hats. They were a complete success, as Anna predicted.

The lighthearted atmosphere, however, evaporated the next morning. The _Daily Prophet_ arrived at breakfast with the headline:

MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN

"Anna," Harry hurried over to her seat at the breakfast table, squeezing into the space between her and Fred. Hermione and Ron hurried over to join them, Hermione sitting across from them with George while Ron sat on Fred's other side, "have you read this?"

"No, but I've heard." she answered worriedly.

"You need to read it, there's something important." Harry insisted, shoving the paper at her. Anna glanced worriedly at him before looking at the actual article. She scanned the photos of the ten escaped Death Eaters, recognizing some of the names, and even a couple faces, like her father's cousin Bellatrix Lestrange. When she got to the actual paragraph, she quickly read it through before stopping short.

"They're questioning my father?" she almost shouted.

"What?" Fred and George repeated, horrified.

"It says _'The Ministry may have a lead as to who's behind this breakout and are questioning Sirius Black, the only wizard in history to successfully break out of Azkaban.'_ What the bloody hell are they thinking? He was proven innocent!"

"Well, they didn't really say he's a suspect." Ron pointed out tentatively. "Maybe they just want his opinion on how they might have gotten out."

Everyone gave him a doubtful look.

"They may not have flat out said he's a suspect," George said, taking the paper from Anna to read himself, "but they're making it sound like he is, anyway."

"I can't believe they're blaming my father for their mistake." Anna snapped, crossing her arms. "I mean, Dumbledore warned them from the start that Voldemort would rally the dementors, but did Fudge listen?" Anna's stomach suddenly felt sick with worry. "You don't think they'll send my dad back to Azkaban, do you?"

"Nah, they couldn't." Fred answered, sounding sure of his answer. "They've got no proof he did anything. He hasn't committed any crimes."

"You really think that matters to Fudge?" Hermione asked doubtfully.

"Well, Dumbledore won't let them put Sirius away." George added.

"Worst case scenario, he can go into hiding again." Fred pointed out.

"Yeah, cooped up in that hell of a house. I'm sure he'll be just fine." Anna agreed sarcastically. Her day was officially ruined.

"Why does no one else seem worried about this?" Harry asked, looking around at the other tables. Sure enough, nearly all the students looked like it was just another day.

"Probably because most kids don't read the paper everyday like our young Hermione here." George decided, playfully tossing his arm over Hermione's shoulder. She scowled up at him, snatching the paper from him to read the articles inside.

"The teachers look worried." Fred pointed out, nodding his head toward the staff table. Dumbledore and McGonagall had their heads bent together, conversing worriedly. Professor Sprout had the paper propped up on a bottle of ketchup to read while she ate, though she was doing more reading than eating. Umbridge, on the other hand, was eating her food as if it had personally insulted her, her squished eyes glancing angrily up the table once in a while at Dumbledore and McGonagall.

"What d'you think Umbridge's more angry about?" Anna asked jokingly. "The breakout? Or the fact that it was a Ministry screw up?"

XXX

Umbridge must have gotten sick of students asking their teachers about the mass breakout, because the next day there was a new Educational Decree posted on the bulletin boards, banning teachers from giving students information that's not related to the subjects they're paid to teach. This decree got endless amounts of ridicule.

Sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts about a week after the breakout, George turned around in his seat so him and Fred could start a game of Exploding Snap. Anna thought this was daring and slightly stupid, but she just sat and watched them in a daze. Everyone else in the class was reading, or pretending to read, the next chapter in their book, but Anna didn't even feel like pretending. She was too worried about Hagrid to focus.

Hagrid was on probation due to his less than stellar performance when Umbridge sat in on his class, and she now had to sit in on all of his classes, which made him nervous. Because of this, Anna and Hermione had pleaded with him not to teach about any scary or dangerous creatures until they finally convinced him. Anna had even been using some of her very minimal spare time helping him plan some of his lessons. It was pretty simple, really. She just remembered the creatures she'd learned about over the years and avoided a lot of her favorites.

Anna jumped involuntarily when the twins' cards exploded loudly. Everyone turned to look at them, including Umbridge, who didn't look pleased.

"I think you two should put those silly cards away and get back to reading." Umbridge told them sweetly. "You're disrupting the other students. And if you continue, I'll have to put you in detention."

"You can't tell them off for that, Professor!" Lee called from his seat next to George. "Exploding Snap's got nothing to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts! That's not information relating to your subject!"

Several people in the class sniggered, and even Anna had to cover her mouth as she looked up at Umbridge. The stubby woman remained in her seat, and while her expression was rather calm, her cheeks turned slightly pink.

"I'm afraid I'll be seeing you in detention, Mr. Jordan. This evening at seven o'clock. Don't be late."

When she went back to sitting and watching the other students, Lee turned and smirked at George, Anna, and Fred, rolling his eyes. Detention didn't exactly scare any of them.

XXX

Anna glanced briefly at the open page of her Care of Magical Creatures textbook before adding a couple sentences to her essay on Porlocks.

"Looks like Lee's back from detention." George noted, glancing up from where he was writing notes on another new product idea with Fred as his side. Anna looked over her shoulder, seeing Lee enter through the portrait hole. Her eyes zeroed in on his hand as Harry approached him. Lee's hand was wrapped in a red and white cloth.

Harry was talking to Lee for a few moments before they both nodded and went their separate ways. Harry returned to his friends, and Lee headed for Anna and the twins.

"What happened to your hand?" Anna demanded as he sat on the couch with them.

"Um, about that…" Lee looked down at his hand, which it turns out was wrapped with a white, bloodstained cloth. "We should probably avoid getting detention with Umbridge from now on."

"Why?" Fred laughed. "Since when has _detention_ ever scared us?"

"Since that psycho arrived." Lee retorted. "Do any of you have Murtlap Essence?"

"Wait, wait, rewind-" Anna sat up straight, "What do you mean? What'd she do to you in your detention?"

Lee sighed, carefully peeling the cloth back a bit so he could look down at the back of his hand. After a moment, he held it out so they could see his hand. Their mouths fell open.

The back of Lee's hand was marred with the words _'I will not talk back'_ carved into his skin.

"She did that?" Anna nearly shrieked, horrified.

"Not exactly." Lee shrugged as if it were no big deal. "She has this quill…She makes you write lines with it and it writes with your blood while carving the words out of your hand."

Nausea swirled in Anna's stomach, her hand covering her mouth in horror. "That's…" she trailed off, unable to find a single word to describe it. Horrible? Despicable? Disgusting?

"It's messed up." Lee agreed with a nod. "So, as much as I hate to say it, we should probably be careful about getting detentions with her."

"We just won't get caught." Fred agreed.

"So, why do you need Murtlap?" George asked, referring to what Lee had asked for earlier.

"Uh, Harry suggested it a few minutes ago." Lee shrugged. "Said it helps with the pain and healing."

Anna nodded slowly. "Well, I think I've got some in my Potion ingredients. I can go-" Anna froze, her mind finally catching up to what was being said. Harry had detention with Umbridge on at least a few occasions…

Without another word to Lee or the twins, Anna got up and hurried across the common room to where Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione.

"Let me see your hands." she demanded quietly.

"What?" Harry asked nervously, his hands instinctively going behind his back.

"Hands. Now." she ordered. "I just saw what that horrible woman did to Lee, don't expect me to believe she'd be less cruel to you."

Harry sighed in defeat before pulling his hands out and showing her his right one. Anna looked closely at the back of it. The words _'I must not tell lies'_ were written in pale white lines of scar tissue.

"And you didn't think to tell anyone about this?" she whispered harshly, her eyes moving back to his. "Even when you spent Christmas holiday surrounded by people who could help?"

"I can't get anyone involved." Harry insisted. "The Ministry's just looking for a reason to get rid of Dumbledore, if he confronts Umbridge it'll give her a reason to go to Fudge."

Anna sighed, running a hand through her hair. As much as she hated it, she could see where he was coming from. She could relate. After all, she hadn't wanted to tell anyone when Flint attacked her just a few years ago.

"Alright, fine, just…quit getting detentions with her, please?" she sighed.

Harry nodded. "Don't worry, I'll try not to."

"Does Lee need any Murtlap?" Hermione asked.

"No, I think I've got some in my Potions ingredients. Though, you might need to tell me how to prepare it to help." Anna admitted.

"Sure. Come on."

XXX

Anna bounced on the spot, her hand as high in the air as she could reach. Of course, there was no need for her to overreact, no one else in the class was raising their hands. This was partially because there was only a handful of other students in the class.

Hagrid chuckled slightly. "Alrigh', then, Anna, come on up. Slowly, though."

Anna failed to smother her smile as she slowly approached Hagrid and another gentlemen in Hagrid's front yard. The other gentleman was named Mr. Scamander, the son of the author of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them_. He was holding in one arm an ape-like creature with long, silky, white hair and large, black eyes. The creature, which was a Demiguise, had been invisible when class had first started, but his handler had made the creature feel safe enough to show himself.

Anna ignored the disapproving scowl Umbridge was making as she slowly approached the two men. When she reached them, she glanced between the Demiguise and the man holding it. He smiled at her before handing her a piece of lettuce. Anna held it and watched as the Demiguise sniffed her. Then, slowly, he reached one long arm over to grab Anna's shoulder before pulling himself into her arm. Once he was settled comfortably in her one arm against her side, he reached over and took the lettuce from her fingers so he could nibble on it.

"This is brilliant." Anna whispered in amazement, her wide eyes glancing up at Hagrid and Mr. Scamander. They smiled at her, though Hagrid never really lost the nervous expression he always seemed to have, thanks to Umbridge.

After Care of Magical Creatures, Anna hurried off to the evening D.A. meeting, carefully avoiding Umbridge when she also left the class.

In the couple weeks since the Azkaban breakout, everyone had been working extra hard in their D.A. meetings, probably because this all seemed more real than ever before. And shockingly, Neville had been making more improvement then anyone else, though Anna kept it to herself that she'd noticed the names Frank and Alice Longbottom mentioned in Bellatrix Lestrange's mug shot in the paper. It wasn't hard to guess they were his parents, and it would make sense that the release of his parents' tormenter would encourage Neville to get better at defending himself and others.

Anna also got a letter recently from her family assuring her that the investigation into her father had ended, and the Ministry had decided he might not have had anything to do with the breakout.

XXX

January soon turned to February, which brought slightly warmer weather and less free time for Anna. She was trying to dedicate at least an hour a day to studying for her coming NEWTs, which the twins frequently tried to interrupt. Angelina was also pushing for more practices, since their next match was coming at the end of February.

The next Hogsmeade weekend happened to be on Valentine's Day. Anna didn't think much of it, since Angelina insisted on having a full day of training with the whole team on February 14th. Anna was jealous of Lee, George, and Fred because they got to go to Hogsmeade while Anna had to practice.

The practice lasted most of the day, meaning the team missed lunch and were hungry as well as sweaty, tired, and sore by the time they headed to the locker-room to change. Anna also took a hot shower for a good half-hour and ended up being the last person to leave the locker-room.

She wasn't expecting someone to be waiting for her when she stepped out the door.

Fred was leaning casually against the wall, dressed in his winter cloak. He smiled when he saw her and stood up straight.

"Hey." he greeted her.

"Hi." she smiled curiously as she stood in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

"What? Can't I walk my beautiful, probably-exhausted girlfriend to the castle on Valentine's Day?" Fred asked charmingly, holding both hands behind his back.

Anna eyed him suspiciously, but a smile played at her lips. "Yes, you can." she answered slowly. "Where, exactly, do you plan to take me, though?"

"Hm, I was thinking on a date? Since it's Valentine's Day and all?" Fred answered innocently.

"Oh really?" Anna asked playfully, though she was pleasantly surprised. They hadn't done anything couple-like last Valentine's Day, and she hadn't expected anything this year since she had practice.

"Yes, really. And I'm hoping _this_ -" he pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back with a flourish, "will convince you to come with me."

Anna smiled widely as she accepted the flowers from him. It was an assortment of oriental lilies and tulips in varying shades of pink and white. "Fred, they're beautiful."

"I wasn't sure what kinds of flowers you like, since we never talked about it, and I probably should have gotten you flowers before this, but-"

"No, Fred, it's fine. I'm not normally a flower-kind of girl, but these are beautiful." she assured him, before adding in a more teasing tone, "However, I'm not a fan of pink, so-"

"Yeah, yeah, shut it." Fred laughed, rolling his eyes. "I figured I'd go with the pink since it's Valentine's Day, but next time I'll pick different colors."

Anna grinned. "At least you didn't get me roses."

"No way, roses are way too overdone, especially on Valentine's. Now, off to our date." He took one of Anna's hands and lead her toward the castle, the flowers in her other hand. They walked through the castle, avoiding the Great Hall where everyone else was starting dinner, and headed all the way up to the Gryffindor common room. Then, Fred lead Anna all the way up to the seventh year boys dormitory. When they stepped inside, Anna's eyes went to Fred's bed.

There were a few candles floating in the air around the bed, which was the only real source of light in the room. And on the bed were two paper bags, one with the Three Broomsticks logo and another with the Honeydukes logo.

Fred helped Anna out of her winter cloak like a gentleman before tossing both her cloak and his onto his trunk at the end of his bed. They both slipped their shoes off and Anna carefully climbed onto Fred's bed, sitting back against his pillows.

"Here." Fred gently took the flowers from her and placed them in a vase already filled with water on his bedside table. "You can take those to your dormitory with you later tonight."

"You just thought of everything, didn't you?" Anna teased lightly as he sat on the bed next to her.

"Of course." Fred smirked, grabbing the nearest bag. "I got some warm butterbeer, since you missed out because of practice," he started, pulling out a bottle of the drink and handing it to her, "and I got some dinner. Hope you're in the mood for fish and chips."

"Are you kidding? I've been craving their fish and chips the past few weeks." Anna told him excitedly, almost snatching the to-go container he pulled from the bag.

Fred laughed. "Well, that's good to hear. But you're not stealing any of mine." he added, mockingly serious as he pulled his own serving of fish. "I also got some of our favorites from Honeyduke's for dessert."

"Aw, you're so sweet." Anna told him, partially joking.

"I know." Fred grinned smugly. "Aren't you lucky?"

Anna laughed, popping open the lid on her dinner to start eating. "So, did anything fun happen in Hogsmeade?"

"Hmm. Not particularly. I think I saw Harry in Madam Puddifoot's with Cho Chang."

Anna smirked slightly. "About time that happened."

"Yeah, but…Madam Puddifoot's?" Fred asked with a grimace. Anna laughed. "You're never going to make me take you there, are you?" Fred checked, pretending to look worried.

"Of course not!" Anna laughed, wrinkling her nose. "There's so much pink in there it burns my eyes just walking past it."

Fred joined in her laughter before taking a sip of his butterbeer.

Anna chewed her next bite slowly before swallowing. "So,…have you and George thought more on whether or not you're leaving?" she asked slowly, looking down at her food.

Fred sighed. "Yeah, we've been thinking about it. I'm pretty sure we're going to do it, but…we're putting it off for now. But we've pretty much got everything we need."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked. "You'd still have to do the owl order side of it. And you know your mum will never let you live at home after dropping out of school."

Fred smirked slightly, looking over at her. "About that…we didn't just hang out at Hogsmeade today."

"What are you talking about?" she asked suspiciously.

Fred reached into his pants pocket and pulled something out. He reached over and dropped it in her hand. It was a simple, silver key with the address '93 Diagon Alley' written on it.

"What is this?"

"I should think you'd know what a key is." Fred told her.

"But," Anna looked between the key and Fred a few times. "Diagon Alley? Did you-you didn't."

"We did." Fred nodded with a smirk. "Thanks to Harry's investment and the crazy profits we've been bringing in, we were able to make a down payment on an empty building in Diagon Alley today. Bill helped us out, but don't mention that. He doesn't want Mum to find out. But anyway, we picked out a shop that has a flat above it, so we can live above the shop. I'll have to give you the grand tour soon."

Anna laughed in surprise. "Fred, that's brilliant! Why didn't you tell me? I would've wanted to come!"

"I know, but I doubt Angelina would've been happy with you skipping practice. Believe me, I would've loved for you to come. But you can help us decorate and set the shop up or something."

Anna smiled. "I suppose I can live with that." she admitted, reaching to give him the key back.

Fred shook his head. "Keep it. That's your copy."

Anna blinked. " _My_ copy?"

"Of course. I have one, George has one, and now you have one. So you can pop in and visit whenever you want."

Anna smiled softly, looking down at the key in her hand. Sure, they were wizards, they could just use their wands to unlock the door. But it was the symbolism behind it. Fred was giving her a key to their shop, and it meant more than she could say.

"Thanks."

When Anna finished her dinner several minutes later, she put the garbage back in the bag before reaching for the Honeyduke's bag to look through it. She pulled out a Chocolate Frog and leaned back against the headboard while pulling the little sweet from the box. As the back of her shoulder pressed against the hard wood of the bed, she winced and shifted forward in inch.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked, having noticed her wince.

"Oh, nothing." Anna waved it off, shifting a bit so she could lean more onto her right side so her left didn't have to touch the headboard. "Just a bruise from practice. I'm fine."

"How'd you get it?" Fred asked, slipping his hand behind her back and gently urging her to sit up.

"It's Quidditch, Fred. People get bruised all the time." Anna told him, though she sat up straight like he wanted.

"Can I look at it?" Fred asked gently.

Anna paused, having not expected the question. And she wasn't sure if she wanted him to see it. When she'd been changing out of her uniform earlier, Katie had been shocked when she caught a glimpse of it, and only then did Anna realize how bad it was.

"Anna?" Fred urged, leaning to look at her face when she didn't answer.

"It looks worse than it is." she told him slowly.

Fred's eyes narrowed warily. "So,…can I see it?" he asked slowly.

Anna sighed, nodded, and sat up straighter. She set her untouched frog on the bedding before hesitantly pulling the back of her jumper up her back. She wasn't sure how far she needed, or wanted, to pull it off, since she was only wearing a bra underneath. Finally, she decided to just pull it over her head so her back and shoulders were left bare, but her arms stayed in the sleeves and her chest was mostly covered. She did just that, trying not to blush. After all, the only thing Fred was really seeing was her back and the back of her bra.

She winced when his thumb brushed over the tender spot on the back of her shoulder.

"Bloody hell, Anna." Fred breathed. "What happened?"

"Um, well,…I got hit by a Bludger." Anna admitted.

"How?" Fred asked incredulously. "You're normally good at dodging Bludgers. The new Beaters aren't _that_ good, are they?"

"Well,…" Anna trailed off, not wanting Fred to get angry. "One of the Beaters was supposed to be trying to hit us Chasers, while the other one was supposed to be defending us. And, well, they were doing… _okay_. Then, the one who was supposed to defend us…I think he was aiming to hit the Bludger away, but his aim was a little off and…it hit me."

Fred sighed harshly, the cool air hitting Anna's bare back and making her shiver. "Which one was it?"

"Yeah, like I'm going to tell you that." Anna scoffed. "It was an accident. I'm not going to give you a chance to hurt the poor guy."

"Then I'll ask Ginny." Fred countered.

"I already swore her to secrecy, same thing with the whole team." Anna told him smugly.

Fred groaned. "Anna, he hurt you-"

"Accidentally!"

"Either way." Fred complained, once again gently running his thumb over the bruise. Anna shivered again. His thumb barely skimmed the tender spot, miraculously not causing any pain. "Can I at least put some Bruise Remover on it?"

"I suppose you could, if you want." Anna answered.

Fred scooted off the edge of the bed, moving around to crouch at the end of his bed by his trunk. He dug around for a moment before he pulled out a small container and returned to his seat on the bed behind her. Anna used one hand to scoop her hair over one shoulder to be out of the way.

"You're okay with this, right?" he checked before he did anything else.

"Yes." she answered quietly. "I trust you."

There was a quiet scraping sound as Fred unscrewed the lid on the container. Then, a moment later, Anna felt the cool paste gently touching her tender bruise. Her back twitched slightly as Fred began to gently dab the paste over the bruised skin.

"I'm not hurting you, right?" Fred checked as he scooped more paste onto his finger.

"No. I can already feel it getting better." Anna admitted.

"Good."

They were silent for another few moments as Fred carefully covered the entire space with the yellow paste. Then his hand left her back and Anna waited silently as she heard the sound of Fred screwing the lid back on.

Suddenly, a pair of arms slipped around Anna's still-bare stomach and Fred gently pulled the right side of her back into his chest, kissing the side of her neck.

"Feel better?" he whispered gently.

Anna smiled, turning to lean the side of her head against his. "Yeah, thanks." she said genuinely, kissing his cheek. "You didn't have to do that. We've all had worse bruises than that."

"I know, but you're my girlfriend. I'm supposed to take care of you." Fred told her sweetly, partially joking but partially genuine.

"Well, you did wonderfully. Thank you." she told him before she leaned forward and pulled her jumper back on. Once her back was covered again, Fred surprised her by lying down and pulling her down with him, laying her across his chest and wrapping his arms around her. They laid there silently for several moments, just staring into the dimly-lit room, the candlelight flickering over the bed.

"So, how'd I do?" Fred asked softly, breaking the silence. "Considering this is only the third date I've planned."

Anna smiled. Turning her head, she stretched up and kissed him. When she pulled back, she smiled up at him, which he returned. "I love this."

"I thought you might." Fred told her smugly. Anna laughed, lightly smacking his chest.

 **XXX**

 **Hope you all liked the chapter! Please take a few moments to review and let me know what you all thought!**

 **Note for the reviewer** _ **Pugs for life**_ **: In answer to your questions, I update this story on Thursdays and any day that I deem significant to Harry Potter fans(Sept. 1, Oct. 31, the twins' birthday…) Yes, I swear I'm going to finish this story. I had a lot of it written out before I even posted the first chapter. I currently have about 2/3 of the** _ **Deathly Hallows**_ **written out. And Fred and Anna are probably going to get married.**

 **Can't give away too much other than that without giving spoilers. I'm glad you like this story so much, and I really appreciated your review. Thank you so much! : )**


	11. Detention

Angelina demanded another practice the following Monday, and it went even worse than the one on Valentine's Day. Ginny wasn't that bad, but Ron was still struggling to save goals when people were watching him, and the Beaters' aim could use a lot of improvement. Angelina was frustrated to the point of tears by the time she decided practice was over.

Anna took a quick shower to get all the mud off her skin and out of her hair. After dinner, she joined the twins in the common room. They found Harry and Hermione sitting by the fire and joined them.

"Ron and Ginny not here?" Fred asked, glancing around as he pulled a chair up next to the younger two. When Harry shook his head, Fred continued, "Good. We were watching their practice. They're going to be slaughtered." he looked at Anna, who was scowling at him. "No offence, you're still a great Chaser, but the team's rubbish without us."

Anna sighed, unable to argue.

"Come on, Ginny's not bad." George argued fairly, sitting between Fred and Anna. "Actually, I dunno how she got so good, seeing how we never let her play with us…"

"She's been breaking into your broom shed in the garden since the age of six and taking each of your brooms out in turn when you weren't looking." Hermione announced from behind her teetering pile of Ancient Rune books. Anna smirked slightly. Ginny had told Anna and Hermione that one summer night while they were in 12 Grimmauld Place. They'd stayed up late and eaten junk food, having a sort of girls night, and Ginny had spilled her little secret to the two girls. Anna got a kick out of it.

"Oh." George paused, looking impressed. "Well-that'd explain it."

"Has Ron saved a goal yet?" Hermione asked, peaking over the top of her book.

"He's pretty good at it,…as long as no one's watching him." Anna admitted.

Fred rolled his eyes. "So all we have to do is ask the crowd to turn their backs and talk among themselves every time the Quaffle goes up his end on Saturday."

Fred got up from his chair and moved about restlessly, coming to a stop by the window. He stared out over the grounds, which were dark and shadowed under the night sky. "You know, Quidditch was about the only thing in this place worth staying for."

Hermione looked up sharply, glaring at him like a scolding teacher. " You've got exams coming!" she reminded him, sounding eerily like Molly Weasley.

"Told you already, we're not fussed about NEWTs. The Snackboxes are ready to roll, we found out how to get rid of those boils, just a couple drops of murtlap essence sorts them, Lee put us onto it…"

George yawned loudly and looked past his twin at the cloudy sky with a miserable expression. "I dunno if I even want to watch this match. If Zacharias Smith beats us I might have to kill myself."

"Kill him, more like." Fred countered firmly, sending his twin a slight glare.

"That's the trouble with Quidditch," Hermione murmured distractedly, focusing more on her rune translations. "it creates all this bad feeling and tension between the Houses."

Anna ducked her head to hide her amused smile when the boys turned to Hermione with looks of disgust and disbelief. When Hermione looked up and saw their expressions, she snapped impatiently, "Well, it does! It's only a game, isn't it?"

"Hermione," Harry shook his head, "you're good on feelings and stuff, but you just don't understand about Quidditch."

"Maybe not," she agreed darkly, " but at least my happiness doesn't depend on Ron's goalkeeping ability."

Anna chuckled quietly while Hermione gathered her things and went up to her dormitory. Harry and the twins watched her go with looks of disbelief.

"There's something seriously wrong with that girl." George muttered, shaking his head. Anna could tell he was mostly teasing. Sort of.

Fred shook his head, turning to stare out the window again. Anna stood up from her seat and approached him, sitting on the windowsill to look up at him.

"So," she said quietly, "Quidditch was the only thing worth staying for, huh?" she asked lightly, making her eyes go wide and innocent.

Fred blinked before looking down at her. He narrowed his eyes at her, but smirked slightly. "Don't…even…go there." he told her slowly, stepping forward so he towered over her, her knees touching his. "Don't do that whole 'girl' thing. You know I'm going to miss you when George and I leave."

"I know." she smiled softly. "I'm going to miss you guys, too."

"Both of us, huh?" Fred asked with a smirk.

"Of course." she answered instantly. Then, she smiled sweetly. "But I suppose I might miss you just a _tiny_ bit more." she added, holding her thumb and pointer finger close together.

Fred chuckled, shaking his head and crossing his arms. After a few moments, he lifted his head to look down at her thoughtfully. "You know, I just realized something. Basically since summer we've seen each other nearly every day. We spent the summer together, then came to school, then we spent Christmas holidays together, and came back to school. We haven't really been separated since the end of the last school year, and that was only about a week before we joined you in Grimmauld Place." He paused, seeming to let that sink in before he met Anna's eyes. "Geeze. I'm _really_ going to miss you."

Anna laughed. "I guess I hadn't thought of that. How will we ever survive without each other when you leave?" she asked dramatically, unable to keep herself from laughing.

Fred laughed. "I don't know. Write each other every week, or you could visit our shop on Hogsmeade weekends. Just go to Hogsmeade and Apparate to Diagon Alley."

Anna tilted her head thoughtfully. "Is that even allowed?"

"Since when has that stopped us?" Fred asked incredulously, still chuckling.

"Good point. I'll keep that in mind." Anna nodded.

"Worse case scenario, we go a few months without seeing each other. We'll be fine." Fred assured her, the joking gone from his tone and expression.

"I know. We're not one of those disgusting couples that need to see each other every hour." Anna agreed, wrinkling her nose up in disgust.

"Ugh. Those couples are gross!" Fred agreed teasingly.

"I think, more than anything, I'm going to miss my best friends and pranking partners. But I'll still have friends around. And Lee will help me prank people."

"Exactly. You'll be just fine." Fred agreed, leaning down and giving her a quick kiss.

XXX

Anna landed heavily and dismounted her broom. She instantly approached Ginny and wrapped her free arm around the younger girl in a tight hug. It wasn't really a celebratory hug, but it was Anna's way of congratulating her while they both commiserated.

"You did great, Gin." Anna told her as the redhead hugged her back, the Golden Snitch clutched tightly in one fist.

Gryffindor had just lost their match against Hufflepuff, and it was probably the worst match Anna could remember playing in. It only lasted about 20 minutes, and Anna wasn't sure what the worst part of the match was. Ron's 14th failed save, Sloper hitting Angelina in the mouth with his bat when he missed the Bludger, or Kirke shrieking and falling backward off his broom when Smith flew toward him with the Quaffle.

Thankfully, Gryffindor only lost by 10 points because Ginny caught the Snitch, bringing the score to 240 to 230.

With their arms still wrapped around each other's shoulders, Anna and Ginny followed the rest of their team off the field, trying to ignore the Slytherins singing that stupid song "Weasley is our King".

"Look, just let me resign." Ron begged Angelina when they entered the changing room. "I'm sure you could find a better Keeper, no problem. No one could be worse than me."

"No, Ron, you're not resigning." Angelina snapped, whirling around to stare him down. "I'm not losing anymore members of my team. You've got it in you, we've all seen it. You just need to work on your confidence."

"She's right, Ron." Anna added quietly, trying to speak more personally to the tall redhead instead of yelling at him in front of the whole team. "We've all seen you. You can make some pretty spectacular saves, you just need to stop letting those Slytherins get to you."

Ron sighed, turning away to change out of his uniform.

When Anna finished changing, she followed Katie and Ginny from the room to find Fred and George waiting outside.

"Nice catch, Gin." George told her, throwing his arm over his little sister's shoulders.

"Yeah, Ginny, you were great." Katie agreed, smiling sadly. "You caught it right from under the other Seeker's nose, too."

"If only we'd made a couple more goals." Anna sighed sadly, her hands in her pockets. She stared down at her feet as they walked toward the castle. "I can't believe I missed that easy shot at the beginning. If I'd only made that one goal, we could've tied."

"Come on," Fred wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side while they walked, "you can't blame yourself."

"Well, I'm not blaming Ron." Anna hissed quietly in case Ron was within hearing range. "He's blaming himself enough for the whole school."

"Well, he did miss pretty much every goal. If he'd only saved a couple…"

"Just leave him alone." Anna begged when George trailed off.

Everyone gathered in the common room and the twins passed out bottles of butterbeer they'd snitched from Honeydukes. Anna, Fred, and George joined Harry and Ginny on the couch later that evening after working on a new joke product. They all kept glancing at Ron, who was hunched over in the far corner staring at the bottle of butterbeer in his hand.

"I haven't got the heart to take the mickey out of him, even." Fred commented as they all sat with Harry and Ginny. He was looking over at his little brother. "Mind you…when he missed the fourteenth…" He mimicked Ron's fourteenth fail by waving his arms like the doggy paddle, which was, unfortunately, an accurate demonstration. "Well, I'll save it for parties, eh?"

Anna sighed, glancing over at Ron again. "I wish we could help him…but there's not much you can do when it's a mental problem. Not like that." she snapped at the twins, smacking them both on the shoulder when she saw their expressions. "He's not mental, he just has confidence problems. He could be a great Keeper if it weren't for that."

The night gradually wound down and everyone went their separate ways to sleep, hoping tomorrow would be better.

XXX

Sunday was fairly uneventful and Anna spent it catching up on homework. But Monday came before some were ready. But before classes even started for the day, breakfast proved the day would be fairly eventful.

Anna was sitting next to Fred and across from George and Lee, eating eggs and drinking pumpkin juice. She didn't think much of the post arriving until she realized several owls had landed just down the table from her…in front of Harry. Several people down the Gryffindor table were leaning forward to get a good look at the multiple owls jockeying to give their letter to Harry first.

Hermione looked excited, reaching in among the bundles of feathers and pulling one out. She insisted Harry open that one first.

Anna tried getting a good look at what Harry took from the owl. All she could see, however, was what looked like a magazine.

"It's good, isn't it?" Luna suddenly appeared, having wandered over from the Ravenclaw table. Anna had to scoot over when Luna squeezed onto the bench between Fred and Ron, causing Fred to scoot into Anna. "It came out yesterday, I asked Dad to send you a free copy. I expect all these are letters from readers." she added, gesturing to the owls still waiting for Harry to take their letters.

"That's what I thought." Hermione agreed eagerly. "Harry, d'you mind if we-?"

"Help yourself." Harry told her in a puzzled tone.

Ron and Hermione instantly started ripping open the different letters.

"This one's from a bloke who thinks you're off your rocker." Ron announced.

The one Hermione read was similar, but one that Harry read was from a woman who said she believed him.

Fred must've been eager to join in, because he quickly grabbed a letter and read it quickly. "This one's in two minds." he announced, still skimming. "Says you don't come across as a mad person, but he really doesn't want to believe You-Know-Who's back so he doesn't know what to think now…Blimey, what a waste of parchment…"

"Here's another one you've convinced, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed while Anna took another letter from a small, brown owl that was nearest to her.

"This one thinks you're barking." she admitted with a grimace, not reading some of the harsher language the person wrote.

"But this one says you've got her converted," Ron said, reading another, "and she now thinks you're a real hero-she's put in a photograph too-wow-"

"What is going on here?" a familiar, disgustingly-sweet voice asked from behind them. Harry looked up while Anna and Fred looked over their shoulders. Professor Umbridge was standing behind Fred and Luna, her toad's eyes scanning the letters scattering the table. There were also several students from every table watching the exchange, the Great Hall quieter than normal.

"Why have you got all these letters, Mr. Potter?" she asked slowly.

"Is that a crime now?" Fred asked loudly, not even sparing Umbridge another glance, "Getting mail?"

"Be careful, Mr. Weasley, or I shall have to put you in detention." Umbridge warned him. "Well, Mr. Potter?"

Harry hesitated. Anna glared up at Umbridge, both for her threat to Fred, and her nosiness, though the older woman didn't notice.

"People have written to me because I gave an interview." he finally admitted. "About what happened to me last June."

"An interview?" Umbridge repeated, her voice going higher and shriller than normal. "What do you mean?"

"I mean a reporter asked me questions and I answered them." Harry answered with a slight attitude. "Here-" With that, he threw what Anna finally realized was a magazine named _The Quibbler_. Umbridge caught it and stared down at the cover, her normally-pale face turning a reddish-purple.

"When did you do this?' she asked in a trembling voice, her eyes not leaving the cover.

"Last Hogsmeade weekend."

She finally looked up at him, and Anna kept her eyes on the toad-like woman. She looked ready to explode. Her face was growing darker and the magazine was trembling in her hands.

"There will be no more Hogsmeade trips for you, Mr. Potter." she whispered, "How you dare…how you could…" she stuttered, finally pausing to take a deep breath. "I have tried again and again to teach you not to tell lies. The message, apparently, has still not sunk in. Fifty points from Gryffindor and another week's worth of detentions."

"What?!" Anna snapped before she could stop herself. Everyone's eyes moved to stare at her, including the pink toad's.

"Is there a problem, Ms. Black?" Umbridge asked, her eyes daring Anna to continue.

"Yes, there is!" Anna snapped. "You have no grounds to punish Harry. He wasn't even on school grounds when he did that interview, you can't control what he does all the time."

Umbridge narrowed her eyes at Anna for a moment before she spoke. "I think you'll be joining me for detention tonight at 8:00, Ms. Black. We'll have to teach you a lesson, as well."

"No-"

Anna grabbed Fred's shoulder, giving it a squeeze to silently tell him to be quiet. Umbridge glared around at them all before stomping back up to the staff table.

"You didn't have to do that, Anna." Harry told her quietly. "You know what she does to people during her detentions."

Anna sighed, running a hand through her hair and pushing her plate away. "Well, it's not like I can take it back. And I wouldn't want to." she admitted honestly, looking around at the others. "What I said was true. Logically, she had no right to give you that punishment, yet she did it anyway."

"Yeah, but now you've got detention." Harry countered guiltily.

"Don't feel bad. Maybe I should've kept quiet, but I'm sick of that woman. It's not like you can control when I do or don't speak."

"Merlin." George finally spoke, causing everyone to turn to him. He met Fred's eye. "We're losing our touch, Freddie. Little Anna got a detention with the toad before we did."

Everyone laughed, though Anna noticed the smile didn't completely reach Fred's eyes.

Even though _The Quibbler_ wasn't that popular, everyone was talking about the interview Harry gave. It was all over the school before lunch. And that night, Fred and George put an Enlargement Charm on the front cover of _The Quibbler_ and hung it on the wall in the Gryffindor common room. Harry's face on the cover gazed out at the occupants and frequently said things like "The Ministry are morons" or "Eat dung, Umbridge".

Anna sighed, slouching on the common room couch and glancing over at a clock on the wall. She probably should have worked on her Transfiguration essay, but she had a feeling her hands would be sore after her detention; no sense in them being sore beforehand, too.

Fred plopped down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. Anna turned and looked up at him, noting that once again he looked troubled by something.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

Fred glanced down at her. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Anna shrugged. "You're upset about something."

Fred sighed, dropping his head back against the couch and staring up at the ceiling. "Alright, you got me. I just hate that you got a detention without me. I mean, normally detentions aren't a big deal. If anything, George and I think of them as a badge of honor or something. But knowing what that hag does to kids in her detentions, and just knowing you're going to have to endure that in less than half an hour…I wish I'd spoken up this morning."

"Fred, I didn't want you to speak up this morning." Anna told him, her voice quiet and gentle as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I don't want you to be hurt any more than you want me to be hurt. And besides, I'll only have the one. I'm more worried about Harry. He's got a whole week's worth. That's bound to be much, much worse."

"I suppose." he sighed, turning to kiss the top of Anna's head. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

Anna sat with Fred for about fifteen minutes before she had to go. She made the long walk down to the second floor and approached the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. Anna glanced at a nearby clock and waited a couple minutes. She didn't want to enter the room until she absolutely had to. So, when the clock struck 8:00 on the nose, she lifted her fist and knocked on the door.

"Come in." a sugary voice called from inside. Taking a deep breath, Anna opened the door and entered.

She actually paused for a full second before fully stepping over the threshold and closing the door. She'd been in this office a few times when Remus was a teacher. Back then it was filled with books and usually had some interesting creature in the corner. But now the first thing that popped into Anna's mind was…' _Pink_ '.

The walls were pink and there were frilly curtains. The most disturbing part was the wall of decorated plates, each with a kitten wearing a bow. Even though she loved animals, Anna found it unsettling to see all the kittens staring at her with their unblinking, yellow eyes.

" _Hem hem_."

Anna jumped and looked straight ahead. Umbridge was reclined at her own desk while Harry was hunched over at a students' desk, his back to Anna.

"Ms. Black. You're right on time." Umbridge said to Anna before turning to Harry. "Well, Mr. Potter, I suppose we'll cut tonight short, but you'll be staying a bit longer tomorrow night to make up for it."

Harry nodded once and stood up. Anna saw that his jaw was clenched and he was holding his hand near his stomach. She glanced over him carefully as he made to move past her, focusing mostly on his right hand. She could see a glimpse of blood dripping down his fingers, and the edge of his robe sleeve was a dark red, probably from the blood.

He met her eyes and gave her a forced, tight-lipped smile to let her know he was fine. She returned it before he passed her and closed the door with a resounding _CLICK_.

Anna straightened her back, pulling her shoulders back and holding her head high as her eyes traveled to Umbridge, who was watching her with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Have a seat, Ms. Black." Umbridge suggested. She waved her wand, making the bloodstained parchment vanish from the desk Harry had been sitting at. Anna swallowed before sitting stiffly at the seat, her eyes finding the quill. Maybe her mind was tainted by the knowledge of what that quill would do, but it looked evil. It was long and black, the tip cruelly sharp.

"Now, I want you to write 'I must not talk back' repeatedly for the next hour." Umbridge told her, waving her surprisingly-short wand and sending a piece of parchment fluttering to a stop on Anna's desktop.

"May I ask why I can't use my own quill?" Anna asked, barely keeping sarcasm out of her tone.

"No." Umbridge answered with a giggle. "Now, you may begin."

Anna refrained from sighing as she gingerly picked up the black quill with the tips of her fingers. She held it with the tip to the parchment for a moment, her hand flexing around the quill, before she began writing.

She forced herself not to wince as she felt a burning, slicing pain on the back of her hand. Her eyes stayed fixed as she wrote ' _I must not talk back'_ in crimson letters. When she wrote the sentence the third time she finally couldn't stop herself from looking at the back of her hand. As she finished the last word, she saw the words in open, red cuts on the back of her hand. However, as she watched, the words healed over, leaving the skin smooth but red and irritated with a few drops of blood that had escaped before the wounds healed.

Taking a deep, silent breath, Anna braced herself before starting her next line.

It was one of the longest hours Anna could remember enduring. She wasn't sure how many times she wrote that horrid sentence. Definitely more than 200. She tried her best not to give Umbridge the satisfaction of seeing her in pain, but it was difficult, especially near the end. Anna's hand quickly grew raw and tender, causing her to wince more and bite her lip to hold back whimpers when new marks were sliced into her increasingly-tender skin. By the end of the hour, it was hard to see the writing because the blood from the quill blended with the blood dripping from her hand.

Finally, Umbridge said, "You may stop."

Anna refrained from sighing in relief and throwing the quill down. Instead, she carefully set the quill on the desk above the parchment and leaned as far back into her seat as she could.

"Now, Ms. Black, have you learned your lesson?" Umbridge asked in her falsely-sweet voice.

Anna didn't answer, keeping her eyes fixed on her desktop. She knew speaking her mind would only end in her getting more detentions.

"Of course, considering your upbringing, I don't doubt I'll be seeing you in here again." Umbridge continued, not waiting for a response. "I certainly hope your brother is better behaved when he comes to Hogwarts."

Anna's eyes flashed up, glaring coldly at the horrible old woman in front of her. "Leave my brother out of this." she whispered coldly.

"Watch your tone, Ms. Black." Umbridge reminded her sweetly. "I wouldn't mind keeping you another hour. I'd be happy to get you a fresh sheet of parchment for more lines."

Anna bit her tongue, instinctively letting her eyes drop to the desktop. They found and focused on a drop of blood on the wood surface.

"Good. Now, you may go."

Anna stood up and forced herself not to run from the room. She kept her composure until she stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her, and taking a few steps. Then, her eyes fell closed as she took a deep, shaky breath. Her hand lifted to her chest and she held it there, cradling it with her other hand.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Anna started the slow walk back to the Gryffindor common room, her hand still cradled to her chest. She barely made it a few feet before movement out of the corner of her eye made her jump. Her head snapped to the side, but she instantly relaxed when she saw Fred stepping out of the shadows of a suit of armor.

"You okay?" he asked gently, approaching her where she stopped walking.

Anna swallowed, looking down as he faced her. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Anna." he whispered. "Please. Let me see."

Sighing, Anna let him gently take both her hands in his. He looked down at both of them, but released her left hand when his eyes landed on her right. He cradled that one in both of his, holding it up so he could see it.

There was drying blood smudged over her hand and the words _'I must not talk back'_ in pale, scarred lettering.

Fred took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to compose himself. Then, he lowered their hands, keeping hers gently in one of his so he could lead her down the corridor.

"So," he finally spoke after a few minutes of silent walking, "how bad was it?"

"Not that bad." Anna answered quickly. She could tell by his voice he was afraid to hear her answer.

Fred turned and looked knowingly at her. "Nice try."

Anna sighed in defeat, her shoulders slouching slightly. "Okay…I was prepared for it,…at first. I mean, I knew what would happen, but…after a while the back of my hand was really sore. And the more it was cut into the more it hurt. So it got harder and harder not to show that I was in pain."

Fred took another deep breath. He carefully lifted Anna's hand, being mindful of not touching the back of her hand, and brought it to his lips to kiss a part of her hand that wasn't red. He didn't apologize, because there was no point, but he still hated seeing her in pain.

After a few more minutes of walking, Anna realized they weren't quite heading for the common room. "Um, where are we going?"

Fred smiled slightly at her. "You'll see."

Anna eyed him curiously, but remained silent as they continued. Finally, they arrived at a familiar tapestry. Fred pushed the tapestry aside to reveal a familiar alcove. The place Anna had told the twins about Flint raping her. He stepped back and waved his arm with a flourish.

"After you, m'lady."

Anna giggled, ducking down to crawl into the small space. It was just tall enough for a first year to stand up straight, and wide enough for five full-grown people to sit snuggly together. At the back of the space, Anna found a bowl of yellow liquid and two mugs of hot cocoa.

Anna turned and sat back against the back wall, watching Fred move to sit next to her.

"So, what's all this?" she asked curiously.

"What does it look like?" Fred asked rhetorically, placing the bowl on his lap and gently taking Anna's hand in his. Then, he carefully lowered her hand into the cool liquid, being mindful to keep his own hand out of it. Anna sighed in relief, resting her head against the stone wall behind her.

"That murtlap works wonders." she murmured quietly, her eyes still closed. The pain was receding already.

"Don't forget your hot cocoa." Fred reminded her lightly.

Anna chuckled, lifting her head and looking at him. "Leave it to you." she mumbled lightly, passing one mug to Fred before picking up the other and taking a sip. "Aah. That's just what I needed."

"I figured." Fred nodded, taking a sip of his. "So, did the old toad have anything to say?"

Anna swallowed another sip before answering. "Nothing important until the end. She asked if I'd learned my lesson. When I didn't respond, she said she wouldn't be surprised if she had me in detention again 'considering my upbringing'. And then,…she dragged my brother into it."

Fred looked worriedly over at her. "How? What'd she say?"

"Just that she hopes my brother is better behaved when he comes to Hogwarts."

Fred thought for a moment. "I didn't think she knew about your brother. She said something about your dad being the last male descendant of the Black line."

Anna thought about it, too. "Well,…my mum works at the Ministry. Maybe someone told Umbridge."

"Probably. Anyway, did you say anything when she brought up Aslan?"

Anna grimaced guiltily. "I just told her to leave my brother out of it, but…my tone might have been a bit…disrespectful?" she ended it like a question, unsure what word to use. "Of course, she threatened to keep me an extra hour if I didn't watch it, so I kept quiet until I left the room."

Fred nodded silently. Anna watched him for a moment, noting that he looked lost in thought.

"What are thinking about?" she finally asked.

"Just that…I mean, George and I still aren't sure about when we're leaving, but…I'm almost scared to leave you here. Hogwarts used to be one of the safest places I could think of, but…" Fred trailed off, his eyes drifting down to where Anna's hand was still submerged in the bowl.

"Fred," Anna sighed, scooting closer to lean her head on his shoulder, "you don't have to worry about me, okay? It's not like I'll be completely alone when you leave. I'll have Katie, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Lee, Ron, and the whole Quidditch team and the D.A….The only problem is that I'll miss you and George. Other than that, I'll be just fine." she assured him.

Fred smiled, leaning his cheek on her head.


	12. A bit of Mayhem

_"Expecto Patronum!"_ Annabelle exclaimed, waving her wand in a circle. A thin, silver wisp floated from the tip of her wand. She sighed in disappointment, her shoulders slouching as the wisp disappearing.

"What memory are you thinking about?" she asked Katie, who was standing next to her. The sixth year hadn't made a corporeal patronus yet, but she was making more progress than Anna.

"Um, vacation with my parents…visiting my grandpa…" Katie listed with a shrug. "You?"

Anna looked back down at her wand. "The twins and my family."

"And it's not working?" Katie guessed, sounding surprised. "What about…your dad coming home? Your first date with Fred? Um,…Favorite prank?"

Anna thought for a moment. "Well,…I haven't tried all of those yet, and maybe I need to focus harder. It's kinda hard to focus when they're doing that." she joked, jerking her thumb over her shoulder, where Fred and George were laughing and making their corporeal patronuses chase each other around the room. Fred's was a fox and George's was a polecat, which was similar to a weasel.

Turning her attention back to the task, Anna took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and focused. She remembered getting to go home with both her parents after her fifth year. She remembered holding Aslan in her arms just after he was born. She remembered the feeling of sitting closely between the twins, feeling the comforting presence of her two closest friends on either side of her. But most of all, she remembered her first date.

She remembered seeing the Astronomy Tower, and how Fred decorated it. She remembered cuddling on the pile of pillows. Sharing the Every Flavor Beans. But most of all, she remembered their first kiss. How he'd pushed her to instigate it, how gentle he was, and how warm and soft his lips were, as well as the warm feeling in her chest, ending with fireworks outside the Astronomy Tower window.

 _"Expecto Patronum."_ Anna stated firmly, keeping her eyes closed until after she did the wand movement.

She watched with bated breath as a silver wisp left her wand tip, languidly forming into a small, slender creature with biggish ears, short legs, and a long tail. Anna laughed as her weasel patronus bounded around her, leaving a silvery mist in it's wake.

"Weasel patronus." Katie noted with a chuckle. "Ironic."

Anna blinked before understanding what her friend meant.

Weasel. Weasley.

She blushed, her patronus fading away as she glanced around the room. She thought no one else had noticed her patronus before an arm landed heavily on her shoulders.

"Anna! You made your patronus! What was it? I didn't get to see." George asked happily, Fred appearing on Anna's other side.

"Oh, um, it was, uh…" Anna trailed off, not wanting to face the endless teasing from the twins, particularly George, when they found out.

"Yeah, Anna, what was it?" Katie asked teasingly, watching her squirm. Anna glared at her, but Katie just smirked.

"It was…a weasel." she finally admitted, looking at the ground as a dark blush spread over her cheeks.

George instantly ' _oooohh_ 'ed at her, pointing past her at his twin. Anna chanced a glance at Fred to see him narrowing his eyes at his twin, but he was smirking slightly.

"Shut up, George." Fred told him, wrapping an arm around Anna's waist and pulling her into his side.

"Do you think it's a weasel because of your connection to Fred and George?" Katie asked curiously, glancing from Anna to the twins.

Anna shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'll have to ask Remus next time I see him. He taught Harry how to perform a patronus, so he might know."

"Remus?" Katie repeated, confused by the unfamiliar name.

"Oh, Professor Lupin." Anna explained, causing Katie's face to light up.

"Oh, right, I forgot he's a family friend."

"You know, now that I think about it…isn't Dad's patronus a weasel, Fred?" George asked, looking contemplatively at his twin. Fred looked up thoughtfully.

"I think so, or something similar. We saw it a couple times over the summer." Fred explained to Katie and Anna.

"Hey, is Hermione's a weasel, too?" Katie suddenly asked, looking past Anna's shoulder. The other three turned to look in time to see Hermione's patronus floating around her.

"No…I think it's an otter." Anna told her, smiling slightly. Then, just past Hermione Anna saw the door open and then close again. However, she didn't see anyone at first. Then, she saw a wobbling stack of hats a second before Dobby the house-elf hurried between people's legs until he reached Harry, tugging on the boy's robes. The room slowly fell into silence as they tried to hear what was going on.

"Hi, Dobby!" Harry greeted the elf happily. "What are you-what's wrong?"

Dobby's eyes were wide and he was shaking from head to foot. The few patronuses still lighting the room faded away and everyone waited quietly.

"Harry Potter, sir…" Dobby squeaked, "Harry Potter, sir…Dobby has come to warn you…but the house-elves have been warned not to tell…" Dobby broke off and ran head-first into the nearest wall, but he bounced off due to his eight hats on his head. Anna still winced while several other girls squeaked in fear and sympathy.

"What's happened, Dobby?" Harry asked, grabbing Dobby's scrawny arm

"Harry Potter…she…she…" Dobby quickly punched himself on the nose with his free fist, causing Harry to grab his other arm, too.

"Who's 'she', Dobby?" Harry asked, though his tone wavered as if he knew, and feared, the answer.

Dobby stared up at him, mouthing wordlessly as if afraid to even utter the name.

"Umbridge?" Harry guessed, horrified.

When Dobby nodded, Anna felt her blood go cold. She almost didn't even notice that the little elf tried to bash his head into Harry's knees right after.

"What about her?" Harry asked as calmly as possible, keeping Dobby from injuring himself. "Dobby-she hasn't found out about this-about us-about the D.A.?"

If elves could go pale, Dobby's face did just that. He tried to kick himself, since Harry was holding his arms hostage, but he only ended up falling to the floor.

"Is she coming?" Even though Harry's question was spoken quietly, it echoed in everyone's ears as they waited tensely for an answer.

Dobby broke, letting out a loud, pained howl as he slammed his bare feet into the floor. "Yes, Harry Potter, yes!"

Harry stood up and looked around at everyone, who was staring at him with wide eyes, faces pale and petrified.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Harry shouted. "RUN!"

Everyone bolted for the door at the same time, temporarily clogging the exit before the people in the front broke out into the corridor. Anna shoved at the people in front of her, feeling people pushing at her back. It was all a blur. She couldn't tell who was who. She couldn't tell where her friends were. She just knew they all needed to run as far and as fast as they could.

Finally, Anna managed to push herself into the corridor and bolt in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. Then, she paused and looked around, wondering in a near-panic where her friends were.

A hand grabbed hers suddenly, and she gasped in shock before Fred started pulling her down a different corridor. George and Lee followed along behind them.

"We can't risk going to the common room." George panted, running on Anna's other side. "It's too far. We'll get caught."

"There's a secret passage up ahead. We'll hide out there for a bit until things calm down, then we'll use it to get to the common room." Fred answered, still pulling Anna along at his side.

A few moments later, they reached the passage and slipped inside, just out of sight so they could stop and catch their breath. Fred pushed Anna in first so that she was the farthest from the entrance. She stepped back several feet so the others would have plenty of room to hide. They stood there, catching their breath for a few moments. Then Lee, who was closest to the entrance, suddenly hissed, "Shh!"

Anna held her breath and the others went silent as they listened. There was the sound of obnoxious laughing and a couple different sets of footsteps. They all waited silently as at least three sets of feet passed by their hideout.

"Did you get any of 'em?" one voice asked.

"No, but I heard Malfoy got Potter. Probably taking him to Umbridge right now."

"About time that prat got what was coming to him."

Anna's eyes went wide, but she kept her mouth shut and breath held as the other students moved away. After a few moments, Lee peaked out from behind the tapestry and looked both ways before pulling his head back inside.

"They're gone. Let's get to the common room." Lee suggested.

Anna turned and started heading deeper into the secret passage, letting Fred step past her to take the lead.

"Do you think they're right?" she whispered after a while, glancing over her shoulder at George and Lee. "Did they catch Harry?"

She could tell by the little she could see in the dark that the others were worried, too.

"It's hard to tell. They sounded too cheerful to be completely making it up." George admitted.

"We'll find out more when we get to the common room." Fred decided with a finality in his voice.

They kept walking, coming out of the passage in a different corridor. From there, they went straight to the common room at a fast pace, panting the password when they reached the Fat Lady's portrait.

As soon as they entered, they found Angelina, Katie, Alicia, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione sitting anxiously near the fire. They all looked up when the portrait swung open.

"Was Harry with you?" Hermione demanded worriedly, standing up as the four seventh years neared her.

"No, but I think we have some bad news." Fred admitted as they all sat down with the other D.A. members. "We hid in a secret passage until the coast was clear, and we overheard some other students, probably Slytherin if we're being honest-"

"They said Malfoy'd caught Harry and taken him to Umbridge." Anna blurted worriedly.

The others looked horrified, glancing among themselves fearfully.

"How'd she find out?" Ginny whispered worriedly. "D'you think someone ratted us out? Someone from the D.A.?"

"Bet it was Smith." Ron muttered.

"Well, if someone did rat us out, we'll find out in the morning." Hermione stated simply, but she wouldn't say more than that when asked what she meant.

XXX

At breakfast, Anna listened to Harry tell the story of the night before for the tenth time, feeling slightly numb. It was all over the school already, and yet, everyone seemed to already know the details.

All they really knew was that Dumbledore took out 2 aurors, Umbridge, the Minister, and his Junior Assistant, a.k.a Percy, and managed to escape capture. The only students present were Harry and some girl named Marrietta Edgecomb, who was now in the hospital wing. Of course, many of the D.A. were now suspicious of Marrietta, which was confirmed by Harry that she was the one who ratted them out.

But the worst part of all? With Dumbledore gone and on the run, Umbridge was now the Headmistress. As if things couldn't get any worse. Umbridge had already fired Professor Trelawney back in March, but Dumbledore had been around to make sure Umbridge couldn't throw Trelawney from the grounds. And he'd been able to find a replacement: Firenze the centaur. Anna hadn't been around to witness this, but she could only imagine how pissed Umbridge was that Dumbledore had chosen the replacement before her, especially someone she saw as an inferior species.

Now, however, Umbridge had complete power. She could fire and replace anyone she wanted. The pessimistic part of Anna's mind thought Hagrid's days were numbered.

"It's only a matter of time, now." Fred stated seriously as him, Anna, and George walked down the corridor during a break. "With Dumbledore gone and the D.A. disbanded, now's a good a time as any to leave."

Anna nodded in understanding, looking between them on either side of her. "So, how do you think you'll do it? Just fly off into the night?"

Fred and George chuckled at her, as if she were a naive child. George even patted her head, making her swat his arm away. "Oh, our silly, little novice." George sighed, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"If you know anything about us, you know we like to…go out with a bang." Fred told her mischievously.

"Uh huh." Anna nodded slowly, not even bothering to shove George's arm off. "And, knowing you two, it will be an actual bang?" she guessed knowingly.

They both smirked. "Of course." the chorused.

"We owe it to Dumbledore if no one else, to give Umbridge as much trouble as we can before we fly the coop." Fred explained.

"She won't know what hit her." George added, his smirk widening deviously.

Anna laughed, wrapping an arm around both of their waists in a slight group hug as they continued walking.

"What's this? A few Gryffindors having a good time? We can't have that." a familiar, smug voice spoke from behind them.

Anna, George, and Fred pulled away from each other to look over their shoulders, seeing Montague smirking at them.

"What do you want?" George asked rudely.

"Well, I think I'm going to have to take points from you three." he stated smugly.

"How?" Anna asked. "You're not even a prefect."

"Nope. Even better." he told her, tapping his chest with a finger. On his Slytherin robes was a tiny, silver 'I'. "The new Headmistress formed the Inquisitorial Squad last night. It's our job to make sure _certain students_ stay in line. And we have the power to take away House points."

"And by 'certain students' I take it you mean everyone who's not Slytherin." George guessed.

Montague merely smirked. "Well, you're all breaking the rule of being eight inches from each other, and your uniforms are worn and ripped."

Anna felt anger burn in her belly, the base of her hair turning a dark red. The twins' robes were 'worn and ripped' because they were hand-me-downs.

"So, I think I'll have to take-"

Fred suddenly lunged forward, shoving Montague in the chest. George opened the door to a Vanishing Cabinet behind him so Fred could shove him inside. Anna, not wanting to be left out, hurried forward and helped George shut and lock the door.

There was a silent pause as they all looked at each other, then they burst out laughing.

"Well, no time like the present to start causing mayhem." Fred laughed. The other two broke into renewed hysterics so that they had to lean against the wall for a moment.

"Well, let's start planning phase one. We've got time before lunch." George decided, gasping for breath.

A couple hours later they headed for the Great Hall. Anna noticed Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ernie Macmillan all staring at the four hourglasses that showed the House's points in the entrance hall. That morning, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had been tied for the lead, but now it seemed every House but Slytherin was much lower than before. Even as Anna and the twins approached them, some more gems flew up into the upper bulbs, decreasing the number of points.

"Noticed, have you?" Fred asked as they reached the bottom of the staircase. The fifth years turned to look at them moments before the seventh years joined them.

"Malfoy just docked us all about fifty points." Harry explained furiously. As he spoke, several more stones flew up from the Gryffindor hourglass.

"Yeah, Montague tried to do us during break." George told them.

"What do you mean 'tried'?" Ron asked quickly, probably eager to hear how the Slytherin failed.

"He never managed to get all the words out," Fred answered smugly, "due to the fact that we forced him headfirst into that Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor."

Hermione glanced between them, completely shocked.

"But you'll get into terrible trouble!" she exclaimed.

"Not until Montague reappears, and that could take weeks, I don't know where we sent him." Fred told her coolly. "Anyway…we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble anymore."

"Have you ever?" Hermione asked.

"'Course we have." George answered. "Never been expelled, have we?"

"We've always known where to draw the line." Fred said.

"We might have put a toe across it occasionally."

"But we've always stopped short of causing real mayhem."

"But now?" Ron asked tentatively.

"Well, now-" George started.

"-what with Dumbledore gone-"

"-we reckon a bit of mayhem-"

"-is exactly what our dear new Head deserves." Fred finished.

Anna had watched their little back-and-forth twin-speak with a smile on her face, but the others didn't quite feel the same way.

"You mustn't." Hermione whispered anxiously. "You really mustn't. She'd have a reason to expel you!"

"You don't get it, Hermione, do you?" Fred asked rhetorically, smiling fondly at her. "We don't care about staying anymore. We'd walk out right now if we weren't determined to do our bit for Dumbledore first. So anyway," he checked the watch on his wrist, "phase one is about to begin. I'd get in the Great Hall for lunch if I were you, that way the teachers will see you can't have had anything to do with it."

"Anything to do with what?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"You'll see." George assured her cryptically. "Run along, now."

With that, Anna turned and followed Fred and George into the crowd, going back up the stairs. They casually walked a few floors up before they came to a door hidden behind a tapestry, one of the secret passages. Fred glanced around before pushing the tapestry aside and ushering the other two inside. Anna hurried in first and crouched next to a crate full of a variety of their new fireworks products.

"We ready for this?" Fred asked, grinning mischievously.

"Absolutely." George and Anna agreed in unison.

"Great. Anna, you go on ahead and make sure the coast is clear." Fred told her as he picked up the crate. Anna nodded and slipped out ahead of them. She walked down the corridor for a few feet, glancing casually around. Luckily, the corridor was completely empty, probably because everyone was at lunch.

Glancing around one last time, Anna turned back the way she'd come and let out three sharp whistles. A second later, Fred and George appeared from behind the tapestry and hurried toward her, Fred carrying the crate in his arms.

"Alright, let's just set it out here and when people start leaving the Great Hall, we can set it off." George decided as Fred set the crate down by the wall.

They quickly returned to their little hideout behind the tapestry to wait for people to leave the Great Hall. They didn't have to wait long for people to start leaving. When about the tenth person appeared in Anna's line of sight peaking out of the tapestry, she gave the twins a thumbs-up. Fred barely peaked the tip of his wand from behind the tapestry, muttering an incantation.

Instantly, the crate erupted with a loud _BOOM_. The floor shook and people started screaming. Anna and the twins covered their mouths to muffle their laughter, even though there was no need. No one would hear them with people running and screaming. Anna peaked carefully out from behind the tapestry to get a quick look at their show.

Green and gold sparks formed dragons that were soaring up and down the corridors, letting out loud bangs. Bright pink, five-foot wide Catherine wheels were whizzing through the air. Rockets with long tails of silver stars were bouncing back and forth off the walls. Sparklers were writing curse words in the air. Firecrackers were exploding everywhere, making people scream and run in zigzags to avoid being hit.

Anna put her head back behind the safety of the tapestry, and the three listened to the sounds of their destruction. Soon, a couple familiar voices shouted over the commotion.

"Hurry, Filch, hurry!" Umbridge shrieked. "They'll be all over the school unless we do something- _Stupify_!"

Anna's smile widened, as did the twins', when there was a loud bang that shook the walls again.

"Don't Stun them, Filch!" Umbridge shouted angrily, as if he'd done it himself. Considering Filch was a Squib, he couldn't have Stunned anything even if he wanted to.

After a few more moments of chaos, the hidden door opened and Harry slipped inside, laughing to himself.

"Impressive." Harry whispered to them, grinning widely when he saw them. "Very impressive…You'll put Dr. Filibuster out of business, no problem…"

"Cheers." George whispered, wiping tears from his laughing face. "Oh, I hope she tries Vanishing them next…They multiply by ten every time you try…"

XXX

The fireworks caused all kinds of disruptions throughout the afternoon. Surprisingly, though, none of the teachers seemed to mind them as much as Anna and the twins expected. In fact, most of the professors just let Umbridge deal with the fireworks. Even if one came into a classroom, the professors would just send a student to find the new Headmistress. So Umbridge basically spent her whole first day as Hogwarts' Headmistress running all over the school handling things the teachers felt they "didn't have the authority to handle".

Later that evening, Anna took a break from homework to help the twins take advanced orders for their fireworks. Fred and George were heroes among the other Gryffindors, who were practically climbing over themselves to reach the twins in the common room that night. Even Hermione pushed through the crowd.

"They were wonderful fireworks." she told them, sounding impressed.

"Thanks." George responded, his voice surprised and pleased. "Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs. Only thing is, we used our whole stock, we're going to have to start again from scratch now…"

"It was worth it, though." Fred reminded him, writing down the orders of the Gryffindors crowding him while Anna accepted their payments. "If you want to add your name to the waiting list, Hermione, it's five Galleons for your Basic Blaze box and twenty for the Deflagration Deluxe…"

They took orders for a good couple hours before the common room slowly emptied, everyone retiring to their dormitories for the night.

Anna sat on the floor, leaning back against the couch as she counted out how much they'd earned. Fred sighed contentedly, dropping down on the couch so his legs were next to Anna's shoulder.

"So? How'd we do?" Fred asked, his hand lazily running through Anna's hair.

"Four hundred and…nineteen Galleons." Anna answered, putting the last Galleon back in the bag after counting all the money out. "Pretty good for a day's work, but we've got a lot of work ahead of us to get these orders filled."

"Yeah. You busy over Easter holidays?" Fred asked, grinning down at her. Anna looked over her shoulder at him.

"Oh, I'll just be studying for NEWTs, doing several homework assignments, and helping make a couple hundred fireworks…so no, I won't be busy at all." she answered sarcastically. Fred lightly flicked her nose in response.

"Good. 'Cause George and I were talking about switching off a couple jobs. See, we need to work on filling all those orders, like you said, but Easter holidays is also the perfect time to visit the shop and get some work done on that. Any chance you'd be willing to make a trip with me or George to the shop sometime this weekend and help us out?"

Anna's grin widened excitedly. "I'd love to."

XXX

Anna spent the next couple days going to class, working on homework, and helping the twins work on their fireworks and other products, as well as planning out some mayhem for after Easter holidays. She knew Angelina would be making them practice a lot during the week-long holidays, so she tried to help the twins as much as she could before more of her time was taken up.

Friday was the first day of Easter holidays, and Anna got up early so her, Fred, George, and Lee went down for an early breakfast. After eating, they split up. George and Lee returned to the boys' dormitory to work on the fireworks and other products while Anna and Fred went to the one-eyed witch statue. Anna glanced around, making sure the corridor was empty while Fred tapped the hump of the statue with his wand.

" _Dissendium_." he muttered. The hump opened and Fred waved Anna through first, Fred following closely behind her. They made the long, crouched journey to Honeydukes cellar, sneaking out of the store and into a space between two shops.

"Okay. You ready?" Fred asked her, grinning excitedly. Anna nodded and took his hand that he offered her. With a twist, they disappeared with a _CRACK_ and reappeared in Diagon Alley.

With an excited bounce in her step, Anna followed Fred down the lane, passing shop after shop. Fred chuckled at her eagerness, but didn't say a word as they continued.

Finally, they came to a shop that had a SOLD sign in the front window. Fred stopped and let Anna look it over for a few moments. It was a rundown, three-story building made of dull, brown-gray bricks like most of the other shops and round, brown display windows.

"The third story's the flat at the top." Fred told her, pointing way up to the windows of the third story. "Come on."

He tugged her toward the front door, but instead of waving his wand to unlock the door, he stopped and looked down at her.

"Go on." he told her, nodding his head toward the door. "Unlock the door."

Anna glanced between him and the door for a moment before pulling her copy of the key from her pocket. Smiling at Fred, she let go of his hand and stepped up to the door, put the key in the lock, and turned it until she heard a quiet click. Then she turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, stepping inside.

Fred entered behind her and waved his wand, turning on all the lights so Anna could properly see the building.

It was an open floor plan. A couple flights of stairs lead to a second floor, which was more of a path leading around the walls with hand rails to keep people from falling.

"All George and I had time to do last time we were here was get rid of the dust." Fred admitted, standing next to her with his hands shoved into his jean pockets. "But we thought out a few ideas for setting the shop up."

"Oh? Like what?" Anna urged curiously.

"Well, for starters we're probably going to put the desk and register right over here," he said, gesturing to a spot a few feet away in front of a door. "That door back there is perfect for a backroom, where we can make and store our products. The door up to the flat is also back there. We were also thinking of putting shelves along most of the walls on both stories." he continued turning to look around at the rest of the room. "That would save room and be more organized. We're probably going to separate everything by category. Like the WonderWitch products, they'll probably go near that window over there."

Anna nodded slowly, imagining it in her mind's eye. "Sounds great." she told him honestly. "So," she clapped her hands once, "where do we start?"

They spent most of the morning decorating the shop. They colored the inside walls a deep purple, made the wood floor shine, and made the stairs and handrails colorful. They set some bookshelves they already had around the walls. Fred took a bag full of products he'd brought with him from Hogwarts and stored them in the backroom.

Then, they went through the backroom and up to the flat. There, Anna helped Fred clean all the rooms. They even made a quick stop at a furniture store to buy some basics of what they would need, taking them all back, and putting them in the flat. They put a bed in each of the two bedrooms, a table and chairs in the kitchen, and a couch and armchair in the living room.

"I think that's good for today." Fred decided after unshrinking the couch and using his wand to place it in the living room by the fireplace. He'd shrunk everything and put them in a bag to transfer them to the flat.

"So should we head back to the castle?" Anna suggested, glancing at the clock hanging on the living room wall. "We should get back in time to eat lunch. Unless you want to eat at the Three Broomsticks or something."

"Hmm. Sounds good. Let's go." Fred agreed, taking Anna's hand and leading her out the door.

XXX

The rest of the weekend went pretty much the same. Fred went back to the shop with Lee on Saturday while Anna went with George on Sunday. Anna spent Saturday making more joke shop stuff with George and doing homework with Angelina and Alicia.

When Monday came around, Angelina made them do an early, four hour practice before giving them the rest of the day to study or do their own thing. Anna decided to spend the rest of her Monday studying for her approaching NEWTs, trying to channel her inner 'Mum'. Her mum, being a Ravenclaw, had been naturally smart and studied as often as she could. If she channeled her father, she wouldn't be studying at all, and then her Mum would ring her neck.

"Hey, Anna?"

Looking up, Anna found Harry standing next to the couch, looking anxiously down at her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Anna asked, scooting over to make room on the couch. Harry sat slowly next to her, looking troubled by something.

"Well,…remember my first year? You said…well, you compared my dad's relationship with Snape to my relationship with Malfoy."

"Um,…yeah, I guess I did say that." Anna agreed slowly, nodding her head as she thought back to that particular conversation.

"What did you mean by that?" Harry asked, almost seeming desperate to know.

"Uh,…well, my mum never told me any details." Anna admitted. "I just know they went to school together, they all did, and Snape just really hated both our dads. I don't really know why, I just always thought it was a Slytherin-Gryffindor thing. Why do you ask? Is Snape giving you a hard time about something? Well-more of a hard time than normal?"

Harry looked really bothered by something as he glanced from her to his hands and back. "Well,…Can you keep this a secret?"

"Of course." Anna agreed instantly, honestly meaning it. She wouldn't even tell the twins if Harry didn't want her to.

"Well,…I've been taking Occlumency lessons with Snape." Harry admitted quietly.

Anna's mouth fell open. Occlumency was the ability to close your mind, making it so others can't read your thoughts. " _Why_?" she asked, unable to help herself.

Harry shrugged uncomfortably, his face red and screaming his discomfort. "Something about protecting me from Voldemort." he answered vaguely.

Anna nodded. "That makes sense." she agreed quietly.

"Yeah. Anyway, I…I saw one of Snape's memories…Of back when he was in school."

Anna swallowed thickly, unnerved by Harry's expression. "Oh?"

Harry looked back at her again. "I think…I think it was their fifth year. They were taking their OWLs. Afterwards, our dads, Lupin, and Pettigrew all met up and hung out under a tree by the lake. Sirius…he said he was bored, and then my dad…he saw Snape and pointed him out to the others. Then they…they started bullying him. My dad used Impedimenta on Snape. They were making fun of him in front of people."

"Did-didn't Remus try to stop them?" Anna asked, stuttering slightly over her words. Sure, it wasn't that shocking that her dad would be part of that, but surely Remus would pull his friends back in line.

Harry shook his head, seeming troubled by that, as well. "No, but my mum did. She told them to leave Snape alone, but my dad…he told her he'd leave Snape alone if she agreed to go out with him. I…I think she really hated him."

" _Lily_ hated _James_?" Anna repeated in shock. "But-but they got married and had you! And it wouldn't have been that long after that memory if they were fifth years. I mean, I was born a couple years after that, and you were born a couple years after me."

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, I…I don't know." he mumbled uncertainly.

Anna swallowed thickly. "Well, what did she say?"

"Well, she said no, but then Snape hexed my dad, who made Snape float upside down with his underpants showing. When my mum defended Snape, he got mad at her for some reason and called her…a Mudblood."

Anna gaped at him. Some of the disgusting pity she'd felt for _Snape_ of all people disappeared at the fact that he insulted the one person who was defending him. "He insulted the _one person_ who was defending him?" she repeated incredulously.

"Yeah." Harry nodded with a slight shrug.

Anna looked Harry over for a moment, noticing that this whole thing was bugging more than words could say. "It's really bothering you, huh?"

Harry swallowed thickly and nodded his head twice. "I guess I just…Everyone was always saying how great my dad was. And everyone always said I was just like him. But Snape…he was always telling me how horrible my dad was, and I never believed him. But…it seems Snape was the only person who was being honest this whole time."

Anna looked down at her lap, staring blankly at her Potions textbook as if it held all the answers.

"Well,…look on the bright side," she finally started quietly, "it wasn't _your_ dad who tried to trick Snape into getting attacked by a werewolf."

Harry looked up and met her eyes. "I guess." he agreed quietly.

"So,…was Snape angry that you saw that memory?" Anna asked, maneuvering the discussion away from the troubling acts of their fathers. "Did he freak out?"

"Yeah. And he said we wouldn't be having anymore Occlumency lessons." Harry answered. "Which I don't mind. I hated them."

"But,…weren't the Occlumency lessons to protect your mind from Voldemort? I doubt Snape thought of that himself. I would expect it was Dumbledore or something. Is it really Snape's decision to stop the lessons?" Anna asked anxiously.

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. But I don't care. I'm certainly not going to fight to continue those stupid lessons."

Anna let the subject drop after that, and offered to help Harry study for his OWLs for a couple hours. But she couldn't stop her mind from drifting occasionally to the memory Harry had seen. And she expected Harry couldn't help it, either.

 **XXX**

 **Happy Halloween!**


	13. Going out with a Bang

"Hey, Ginny. How's it going?" Anna asked as Ginny joined Anna and the twins on the couch. Anna was studying while the twins were working out some problems with a product equation.

"Pretty good. Have you guys spoken to Harry lately?" she asked, sitting between Anna and Fred.

Anna glanced worriedly at the twins before looking at the younger redhead. "Um, not about anything important for a few days." Anna answered. "Why?"

"Well,…" Ginny trailed off, glancing around to ensure no one was listening to them. "He wants to talk to Sirius. With Umbridge intercepting and reading everyone's mail, he doesn't feel comfortable writing to him, but he says he really needs to talk to Sirius about something."

"Can't really blame him, considering what the old toad did to our Mum's Easter egg." George muttered grouchily. Molly, as she did every year, sent them a package of chocolate eggs with Fizzing Whizbees inside. However, when they got the package, it was a box wrapped in brown paper, which had clearly been unwrapped and carelessly rewrapped. In red ink the words, 'Inspected and passed by the Hogwarts High Inquisitor' were written across it.

"So, how's he going to talk to my dad?" Anna asked, both curious and worried. She had a feeling Harry wanted to ask Sirius about the memory he'd seen with Snape. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't been thinking about it, and she could only imagine how much it was bothering Harry.

"Well, that's why I wanted to talk to you guys." Ginny admitted. "I figured maybe you could help him."

Fred and George instantly exchanged conniving smirks.

"We have just the idea." they chorused.

"Care to share?" Anna asked curiously.

"Sure. We'll tell you when we tell Harry." Fred assured her, making her pout.

"Why can't you tell me now?"

"That'll spoil the surprise." George answered instead.

XXX

They didn't see Harry until later that evening. They found him in the common room with Hermione and Ron, reading some pamphlets about all the different careers for the fifth years. Fred walked right up behind Harry and spoke right by his ear, "Hey." Harry turned around as Fred, Anna, and George joined them at the table. "Ginny's had a word with us about you." Fred informed him, stretching out his legs on the tabletop, which caused several booklets to fall on the floor. "She says you need to talk to Sirius?"

"What?" Hermione asked sharply, freezing as she'd been stretching across the table to reach a new booklet.

"Yeah…" Harry agreed casually, "yeah, I thought I'd like-"

"Don't be so ridiculous." Hermione told him, looking at him in shock. "With Umbridge groping around in the fires and frisking all the owls?"

"Well, we think we can find a way around that." George told them, stretching and smiling at them. "It's a simple matter of causing a diversion. Now, you might have noticed that we have been rather quiet on the mayhem front during Easter holidays?"

"What was the point, we asked ourselves, of disrupting leisure time?" Fred continued. "No point at all, we answered ourselves. And of course, we'd have messed up people's studying too, which would have the very last thing we'd want to do."

He gave Hermione a smug nod, and she looked taken aback by his thoughtfulness. Anna rolled her eyes. The twins had been too busy setting up their shop and restocking their products to really pull any good pranks.

"But it's business as usual from tomorrow." Fred continued quickly. "And if we're going to be causing a bit of an uproar, why not do it so that Harry can have his chat with Sirius?"

"Yes, but _still_ ," Hermione pushed on, "even if you _do_ cause a diversion, how is Harry's supposed to talk to him?"

"Umbridge's office." Harry answered quietly.

"Are-you-insane?" Hermione asked barely above a whisper.

Ron glanced between the two warily.

"I don't think so." Harry answered, giving a shrug. Anna fought a grin, because Hermione's question was obviously rhetorical.

"And how are you going to get in there in the first place?" Hermione asked doubtfully.

"Sirius's knife."

"Excuse me?"

"What knife?" Anna asked over Hermione.

Harry glanced sheepishly at Anna before explaining, "Christmas before last Sirius gave me a knife that'll open any lock. So even if she's bewitched the door so _Alohamora_ won't work, which I bet she has-"

"What do you think about this?" Hermione demanded, turning to Ron, who looked alarmed at being dragged into the conversation.

"I dunno. If Harry wants to do it, it's up to him, isn't it?"

"Spoken like a true friend and Weasley." Fred told his little brother, smacking Ron on the back so hard he lurched forward slightly.

Anna looked at Fred and George. "So, then you two won't mind if I decide I want to go with Harry?" she asked lightly.

Both twins stared at her for a moment before shrugging. "Okay." George told her.

"Did you want to ask Sirius something?" Fred asked curiously, tilting his head a bit.

Anna met Harry's eyes and knew he understood. She wanted the same thing Harry did. She wanted to hear her father's account of Snape's memory. "Kinda." she admitted, looking back at the twins.

Fred nodded. "Right, then." he turned back to the group at a whole. "We're thinking of doing it tomorrow, just after lessons, because it should cause maximum impact if everybody's in the corridor-Harry, we'll set it off in the east wing somewhere, draw her right away from her own office-I reckon we should be able to guarantee you, what, twenty minutes?" he said, glancing at George.

"Easy." George agreed.

"What sort of diversion is it?" Ron asked curiously.

"You'll see, little bro." Fred assured him as he, Anna, and George stood up again. "At least, you will if you trot along to Gregory the Smarmy's corridor round about five o'clock tomorrow."

Anna turned to Harry before she followed the twins. "I'll meet you by Umbridge's office around five o'clock, then?"

Harry grinned slightly. "Yeah. See you there."

Anna followed Fred and George up to their dormitory and flopped down on Fred's bed, her legs hanging over the side and arms spread out.

"So, is there anything we need to do for tomorrow?" she asked, turning her head to look at them.

"Nah, we've already got everything done for that." George answered, waving his wand and causing several possessions to fly into his trunk. "But we could get a few Skiving Snackboxes done tonight."

Fred sat down on the edge of his bed, his hip brushing Anna's, and waved his wand to make his own possessions fly into his trunk. Anna's brows furrowed curiously as she glanced between him and George.

"You both just made all your property pack itself into your trunks." she noted slowly. "Something you want to tell me?"

Fred and George exchanged a look for a brief moment before George excused himself to the loo. When the door clicked shut, Fred laid back on the bed next to Anna, both of them staring up at the ceiling.

"You're leaving tomorrow, then." It was a statement, not a question, but Fred confirmed it anyway.

"Yeah. We didn't decide for sure until earlier today, though, when we decided to distract everyone for Harry. And you." he added as an afterthought, since Anna would be joining Harry.

Anna nodded, folding her hands together on her stomach. "I won't see you guys…for a couple months." she murmured quietly. "I mean, that's not long, and we'll probably write…"

"Exactly." Fred nodded once assuredly. "And I'll be the first person to greet you on the platform when you get off the Hogwarts Express." he added, lifting his arm and slipping it under her head. She smiled, scooting into his side and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm almost disappointed I'll miss all our hard work play out tomorrow." she murmured thoughtfully.

"Well, it's your decision. What did you want to talk to your dad about?" Fred asked curiously.

Anna looked down at where her hand was rested on Fred's chest, feeling the faint _thump-thump_ of his heartbeat under the soft fabric of his button-down. "Just, um,…something Harry mentioned. I'd rather not talk about it until I hear my dad's side, but…who knows? I might end up needing to talk to someone about whatever he says. We'll see how it goes, first."

Fred nodded, lifting his head so he could kiss the crown of her head before lowering it back against the bed. "Well, I won't push you. But if you do need someone to talk to, you know I'm always there for you. Heck, we could meet in Hogsmeade, maybe sneak off to the Shrieking Shack for some privacy, if you want to get anything off your chest."

Anna smiled, peaking up at him. "Maybe."

Fred raised his head, about to lean down for a kiss when the door opened again. George glanced between them, a smirk slowly pulling at the corners of his lips.

"Good, you told her." George stated, hurrying over and leaping onto the bed. Anna and Fred laughed when the bed bounced wildly under them. When it calmed back down, George scooted around and laid his head on Anna's stomach.

"Hi, George." Anna told him, smiling at him in amusement before letting her head fall back against the bed. She pulled her hand out from under his back where he laid on it and patted his forehead. "Don't worry, George. I'll miss you, too." she told him teasingly, though she was being honest.

George turned his head and gave her a wide, cheesy smile. "I know. How could you not miss the better, more handsome twin?"

All three of them chuckled. Fred reached over and flicked George on the forehead. "Keep telling yourself that, mate."

Anna tilted her head to lean it on Fred's shoulder again. Her eyes lowered a bit and she caught George's eye again when he turned to look at her, his head still on her stomach.

"I'll miss you, too, Anna."

XXX

Monday went by relatively normal. Anna went to Herbology and Charms, the twins joining her in their classes though they paid little attention as they put in any final touches to their plans.

Anna spent nearly every second of her time with the twins on Monday, knowing she could study and do her homework another day. 5:00 seemed to take forever to arrive, and yet it arrived much too soon.

About 4:50, Anna gave George a tight hug before Fred pulled her aside for a private moment.

"I'll write as soon as I get a chance." he assured her, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "And I'll see you soon."

"I know." Anna smiled softly. "It won't be too long."

Fred pulled her close and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I love you." he breathed into her hair.

Anna returned the embrace, her hands fisting the back of his school robes. "I love you, too."

Fred pulled his head away enough to press a firm kiss over Anna's lips, which she returned eagerly. It could very well be two months before she could kiss him again, and the thought made her hand move to thread through his short hair.

Anna wasn't sure how long they kissed. All she knew was that her lungs burned from lack of air, and they were interrupted by someone coughing loudly nearby. Pulling away, they both glanced sheepishly at George, who grinned at them.

"I hate to break up your little goodbye snog, but you really need to get going if you're going to meet Harry in time."

"Right." Anna sighed, running a hand through her hair. She wasn't surprised when her fingers were briefly caught in knots given Fred's hand had just been buried in the strands moments before. She turned to look up at Fred again. "Bye." she breathed.

"Bye." Fred gave her one more hug before they pulled away and Anna hurried off down the corridor, not giving her mind the chance to take in the meaning of their exchange. She knew if she thought too much about the goodbye, she'd get emotional, even if she would see them again soon.

She soon found herself in the corridor leading to Umridge's office. She glanced around casually before approaching a suit of armor, as agreed beforehand.

"Harry?" she whispered almost silently.

"Here." Harry whispered, peaking out of a space from under his Invisibility Cloak. Anna glanced around one more time to ensure no one was around before approaching him. He pulled the Cloak over both of them before they crept carefully along the corridor to Umbridge's door.

Anna watched over Harry's shoulder as he inserted the blade of his knife into the crack between the door and it's frame. He then moved it carefully up and down before pulling it back out. A small _click_ was heard before the door swung open. Harry and Anna hurried into the office and Anna closed the door behind them before Harry pulled the Cloak off them.

"I'm going to have to ask Dad where he got that knife." Anna murmured, partially joking.

Harry chuckled quietly as he hurried over to the fireplace. Anna joined him just as he grabbed a pinch of Floo powder. They both crouched down in front of the fire, stuck their heads into the fireplace, and he tossed the powder onto the pile of log. Green flames erupted from the logs.

"Number twelve, Grimmauld Place!" Harry exclaimed.

Anna had traveled by Floo before, but never like this. It felt very strange. Her knees were still firmly planted on the cold floor of Umbridge's office, but her head felt like it was spinning through the air across the country to Grimmauld Place. Anna felt very dizzy and her throat burned with the sensation of being sick. And then, it suddenly stopped and Anna opened her eyes to see the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. At the long, wooden table sat a man staring intently down at a piece of parchment.

"Sirius?" Harry asked.

The man jumped in shock and looked around at them, revealing Remus's tired face.

"Harry?" he exclaimed, looking between them in complete shock. "Anna! What are you-what's happened, is everything alright?"

Anna glanced at Harry, leaving it up to him to answer. "Yeah. I just wondered-I mean, we just fancied a-a chat with Sirius."

"I'll get him." Remus told them as he stood up, still looking puzzled. "He just went upstairs to look for Kreacher, he seems to be hiding in the attic again."

"Why isn't he at home?" Anna found herself asking before she could stop herself.

"He keeps me company on the nights I'm stuck here, and Molly's watching Aslan for the day while your mother's at work." Remus explained briefly as he hurried from the kitchen. They waited for a few moments, and Anna shifted her knees slightly in an attempt to alleviate the ache forming in her joints.

"Are your knees starting to kill you?" she found herself asking quietly.

"A bit." Harry admitted with a wry grin.

A moment later, Remus returned with Sirius on his heels.

"What is it?" Sirius asked worriedly, shoving his long hair from his face as he knelt in front of the fire. Remus did the same, making them about eyelevel with Harry and Anna. "Is everything alright? Do you need any help?"

"No," Harry admitted, "it's nothing like that…I just wanted to talk…about my dad…"

The two men exchanged a very shocked glance, but Harry plunged into the story of the memory he'd seen, probably because they had a limited amount of time.

When he was finished, Anna wasn't surprised to see that neither man spoke for a moment. Finally, Remus spoke in a quiet voice, "I wouldn't like you to judge your father on what you saw there, Harry. He was only fifteen-"

"I'm fifteen!" Harry argued angrily.

"Look, Harry," Sirius spoke calmly, "James and Snape hated each other from the moment they set eyes on each other, it was just one of those things, you can understand that, can't you? I think James was everything Snape wanted to be-he was popular, he was good at Quidditch, good at pretty much everything. And Snape was just this little oddball who was up to his eyes in the Dark Arts and James-whatever else he may have appeared to you, Harry-always hated the Dark Arts."

"Yeah, but he just attacked Snape for no good reason," Harry argued, "just because-well, just because you said you were bored." he finished, his tone changing to a guilty one.

"I'm not proud of it." Sirius explained quickly.

Remus glanced at Sirius before speaking. "Look, Harry, what you've got to understand is that your father and Sirius were the best in the school at whatever they did-everyone thought they were the height of cool-if they sometimes got a bit carried away-"

"If we were sometimes arrogant little berks, you mean." Sirius interrupted.

Remus smiled.

"He kept messing up his hair." Harry pushed on in a pained voice. Anna glanced over at him, mildly confused as to what the issue was with that.

Sirius and Remus laughed.

"I'd forgotten he used to do that." Sirius commented, his tone one of affection.

"Was he playing with the Snitch?" Remus asked eagerly. Anna couldn't remember seeing Remus so excited about something.

"Yeah." Harry answered, causing the two men to grin reminiscently. "Well,…I thought he was a bit of an idiot." Harry admitted, causing Anna to snort back a laugh.

"Of course he was a bit of an idiot!" Sirius agreed bracingly. "We were all idiots! Well-not Moony so much." he admitted fairly, looking at his best friend, who shook his head.

"Did I ever tell you to lay off Snape?" Remus asked rhetorically, "Did I ever have the guts to tell you I thought you were out of order?"

"Yeah, well, you made us feel ashamed of ourselves sometimes…" Sirius said slowly, "That was something…"

"And," Harry pressed on, "he kept looking over at the girls by the lake, hoping they were watching him!"

"Oh, well, he always made a fool of himself whenever Lily was around." Sirius admitted with a shrug. "He couldn't stop himself showing off whenever he got near her."

"How come she married him?" Harry asked, sounding desperate and miserable. "She hated him!"

"Nah, she didn't." Sirius waved him off.

"She started going out with him in seventh year." Remus explained.

"Once James had deflated his head a bit." Sirius added.

"And stopped hexing people just for the fun of it." Remus continued.

"Even Snape?" Harry checked doubtfully.

"Well," Remus started slowly, and Anna got the sense he was trying to find a way of answering without making his friend look like a total arse, "Snape was a special case. I mean, he never lost an opportunity to curse James, so you couldn't really expect James to take that lying down, could you?"

"And my mum was okay with that?"

"She didn't know too much about it, to tell you the truth." Sirius admitted. "I mean, James didn't take Snape on dates with her and jinx him in front of her, did he?"

Sirius frowned, glancing between Harry and Anna for a moment. Anna guessed her and Harry still looking troubled.

"Look," he started, "your father was the best friend I ever had, and he was a good person. That's why I made him, and Lily, Anna's godparents. A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it. I'm guessing Fred and George have done similar things from what Molly's mentioned." he added with a glance at Anna.

She grimaced guiltily. "Well, now that you mention it…" she trailed off with a glance at Harry. He gave a small, amused grin. "A while back they did, sorta, shove someone into a vanishing cabinet…but he had it coming!" she added hurriedly, her eyes going back to Remus and Sirius. They both smirked knowingly at her.

"Yeah, okay." Harry sighed heavily, getting the subject back on track. "I just never thought I'd feel sorry for Snape."

"Now you mention it," Remus spoke up, frowning slightly as his brows came together, "how did Snape react when he found you'd seen all this?"

"He told me he'd never teach me Occlumency again," Harry admitted, shrugging indifferently, "like that's a big disappoint-"

"He WHAT?" Sirius shouted, causing both Harry and Anna to jump in surprise. Anna accidentally smacked the top of her head into the fireplace.

"Are you serious, Harry?" Remus asked quickly. "He's stopped giving you lessons?"

"Yeah." Harry answered, sounding surprised by their reactions. "But it's okay, I don't care, it's a bit of a relief to tell you the-"

"I'm coming up there to have a word with Snape!" Sirius shouted, starting to stand up. Remus grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back to the ground.

"If anyone's going to tell Snape it will be me!" Remus said firmly, mildly surprising Anna. "But Harry, first of all, you're to go back to Snape and tell him that on no account is he to stop giving you lessons-when Dumbledore hears-"

"I can't tell him that, he'd kill me!" Harry exclaimed angrily. "You didn't see him when we got out of the Pensieve-"

"Harry, there is nothing so important as you learning Occlumency!" Remus told him sternly. "Do you understand me? Nothing!"

"Okay, okay." Harry agreed, slightly agitated. "I'll…I'll try and say something to him…But it won't be…"

Harry went quiet, and Anna thought she knew why. She could hear the distant sound of footsteps. Her brows furrowed worriedly and she turned her head slightly to see if she could hear it better.

"Is that Kreacher coming downstairs?" Harry asked.

"No." Sirius answered, glancing over his shoulder. "It must be somebody on your end…"

Anna's breath caught in her throat and she glanced over at Harry. His expression one of fear.

"We'd better go!" he told them hastily. Anna followed his lead and pulled her head out of the fire. Anna had to clench her eyes shut, feeling as if her head was spinning before the sensation stopped. She blinked her eyes open and looked around, finding herself kneeling next to Harry in front of Umbridge's fireplace. She glanced around before hearing someone's voice.

"Quickly, quickly!" a familiar, wheezy voice muttered, quickly approaching the door to the office. "Ah, she's left it open…"

Harry grabbed the Invisibility Cloak and threw it over both himself and Anna as Filch burst into the room. A shiver ran down Anna's spine at the absolute _delight_ on his face. That couldn't mean anything good. He was muttering feverishly to himself as he hurried to Umbridge's desk, searching through the papers in one of the drawers.

"Approval for Whipping…Approval for Whipping…I can do it at last…They've had it coming to them for years…"

He finally pulled out a piece of parchment, kissed it, and then waddled out of the room with surprising speed, holding the parchment clutched to his chest.

"No…" Anna breathed, fear gripping her chest at the thought of _who_ Filch was planning on whipping. She leapt to her feet, but Harry grabbed her arm.

"Stay under the Cloak." he hissed, hurrying from the room at her side so they both remained hidden under the Cloak. He yanked the office door open and they both hurried after Filch.

When they were one landing down, Harry took off the Cloak and shoved it inside his bag, probably figuring they were a safe distance. Anna bolted down the stairs, hearing Harry racing along behind her. She headed for the entrance hall, where she could hear shouting and a loud commotion. When she hurried down the marble staircase, she found what appeared to be most of the school crammed into the hall.

Students were standing in a large ring all around the walls. Some were covered in something that looked like Stinksap. Teachers and ghosts were sprinkled among the students, and several members of the Inquisitorial Squad were looking pleased with themselves, which couldn't be good. Peeves was floating above the crowd and looking down at the two people that Anna's eyes had fixed on almost immediately.

Fred and George were standing in the very center of the crowd. They were both looking proud, arrogant even, and defiant as they stared up at Umbridge. Only Anna could see that they were tense and on edge underneath their confidence, probably because this wasn't how their grand escape was supposed to go.

"So!" Umbridge's triumphant voice sounded over the entrance hall from where she stood just a few stairs in front of Anna and Harry, looking down at the twins. "So…you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?"

"Pretty amusing, yeah." Fred answered casually, looking back at her without a hint of fear in his stance or expression.

Filch elbowed his way to Umbridge's side. "I've got the form, Headmistress." he told her hoarsely, waving the parchment he'd grabbed from her office. "I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting…Oh, let me do it now…"

Anna's wide eyes met Fred's from over Umbridge's shoulder as she responded, but he gave her a very small, reassuring smile.

"Very good, Argus." Umbridge told Filch. "You two," she continued to Fred and George, "are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."

"You know what?" Fred answered. "I don't think we are." With that, he turned to look at his twin. "George, I think we've outgrown full-time education."

"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself." George answered lightly as if saying it for the first time. Of course, he might have been, since this wasn't really the way their escape was supposed to go.

"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" Fred asked.

"Definitely." George answered.

A smile tugged at the corners of Anna's mouth as they both raised their wands and shouted in perfect unison, " _Accio Brooms!_ "

There was a crash in the distance and Anna and Harry ducked just in time for Fred and George's brooms to zoom over their heads from where they'd been chained up in Umbridge's office. The two brooms zoomed to the twins' side, stopping sharply in front of them, a chain and iron peg still dangling from one of them.

"We won't be seeing you." Fred told Umbridge as he mounted his broom.

"Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch." George added, mounting his own broom.

Fred looked around at the crowd, which was watching silently.

"If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley-Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Our new premises!" he declared loudly.

"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat." George added, pointing up at Umbridge on the stairs.

"STOP THEM!" Umbridge shrieked. But as the Inquisitorial Squad rushed forward, Fred and George kicked off, shooting about fifteen feet into the air. The iron peg swinging below George's broom almost smacked a Slytherin in the head.

"Give her hell from us, Peeves." Fred ordered to the poltergeist bobbing in front of them.

Anna actually laughed when Peeves took off his hat and saluted the twins. All the tension left Anna's shoulders as she realized they would get away.

Fred and George swept around to the loud applause and cheers of the students below. Anna cheered and whistled as they flew out the open front doors of the castle, flying off into a beautiful sunset. A perfect ending to Fred and George's Hogwarts careers.

 **XXX**

 **Second chapter of the week! Please review to let me know what you thought!**


	14. Surprise

"I can get one from Hagrid's hut, but if it gets hurt, I will end you." Annabelle told Lee seriously as they walked through the corridor, discussing their latest plan.

It'd been almost a week since Fred and George flew the coop, and it seemed people talked about nothing else. It was, as expected, the stuff of Hogwarts legend. Many people were tempted to do the same thing, but no one had the guts to act on it.

"Alright, yeah, we'll make sure it doesn't get hurt. Just let me know when you get one and we can commence phase two." Lee told her, turning to head to his next class while Anna continued on her way. With the twins gone, her and Lee had teamed up on their own to continue pranking Umbridge and her little minions. She actually felt closer to Lee without the twins around. She'd always hung out with Lee, but she was closer to the twins, which meant she never really spent any one-on-one time with Lee even though they were friends. And they both found it easy to bond over the their shared gloom in the twins' absence.

"I've got ya now! You'll all pay for this!" a familiar, wheezing voice shouted from around the corner. Anna tensed and hurried forward until she peaked around the corner, her eyes quickly assessing what was going on.

Filch was shouting at a group of four girls. There were a handful of dungbombs on the ground that appeared to have not gone off like they were supposed to, and some of the girls' hands were dirty, meaning the dungbombs were theirs. Judging by their height and school robes, they were first years, maybe second, and three were in Ravenclaw, one in Hufflepuff. The girls were all cowering into the wall as Filch advanced on them, shoving a single girl to the front of their group as if she were the leader and needed to take the brunt of the attack. Anna could see why they were so terrified. Since he got his 'Approval for Whipping', Filch had taken to carrying around a horsewhip for when he could catch students in the act of breaking a school rule. Luckily, he'd never caught a student in the act, until now, it seems.

Anna stepped around the corner, planning on intervening. When her eyes landed on the face of the girl in front, her pace only picked up. Filch had just raised his hand that was brandishing the whip when Anna appeared in front of the girls, her forearm raised to hopefully take the blow.

The whip lashed against Anna's forearm, the thick, leather tail momentarily wrapping around her arm. Her robe sleeve muffled most of the blow, but a numb tingling ran through her arm before a low burning followed. She carefully lifted her head to look up at Filch through her curtain of dark hair. His face was near purple as he glared down at her, his jowls quivering with rage.

"How dare you intervene?!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "I've caught these brats breaking school rules, and I have the right to whip them!"

"And I'm not going to let that happen." Anna retorted, sneakily reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a small, black object and threw it down on the ground directly between herself and Filch. A pitch-black darkness erupted and Anna quickly ushered the young girls away until they were all running down the corridor. Anna lead them to a familiar tapestry, which she pushed aside and waved them into the space behind it.

They all stopped and caught their breath, the only sound was their heavy breathing. Finally, Anna looked down at the young girl who she'd saved from the whipping. Familiar blue eyes and golden brown hair greeted her.

"Are you okay, Audra?" she asked quietly, looking her young cousin over for any signs of injuries. She appeared unharmed.

"Y-yeah, we're all okay." Audra answered, looking around at her friends before looking back up at Anna. "What about you? He whipped you."

Anna looked down at her arm, just noticing the pain growing as she carefully pulled her sleeve back. There was a purple line almost an inch thick and a few inches long going across her forearm, the skin around it red and irritated. She gently touched it with her finger and winced at the stinging, burning pain that erupted.

"It's nothing." she assured the young girls as she covered the mark with her sleeve. "Just be more careful in the future. You may not be so lucky next time. Filch has been looking for any excuse to use that whip on kids."

They all nodded nervously, all looking a bit guilty.

"What was that black stuff you threw on the ground?" one of the Ravenclaw girls asked curiously.

Anna smirked slightly. "It's Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. Fred and George are still working on it, so it's not on the shelves yet, but they gave me a couple to try out."

Most of the girls looked up at her with wide eyes and awed expressions.

"You're friends with the Weasley twins?" one of them finally asked in a hushed voice.

Anna chuckled slightly. "Yeah, they're my best friends, and Fred's actually my boyfriend." she admitted.

"Wow." they all breathed, making Anna fight off a blush. "You're so lucky." one of them continued before looking Audra. "How do you know each other?"

"Anna's my cousin." Audra declared proudly, as if Anna were some kind of celebrity. Anna once again fought a blush as she peaked out from behind the tapestry.

"Okay, I think the coast is clear." she decided, turning back to the girls. "Now, I'm not going to tell you guys to stop pulling pranks, because that would be hypocritical of me, but be more careful next time. Being whipped is only one thing you need to worry about. Umbridge's detentions should well be considered torturous and illegal."

They all nodded anxiously.

"Okay. Head to class or your common rooms or wherever you were heading. Just steer clear of Filch for a while in case he might recognize you."

Anna held the tapestry open and the girls hurried off down the corridor. Anna glanced around once more before heading a different direction. She made sure to stay away from the east wing, which the twins had turned into a swamp on the fifth floor. None of the teachers had been able to get rid of it, so it had been roped off.

Later in the afternoon, Anna went to Care of Magical Creatures. It wasn't too exciting, mostly a short quiz to help them prepare for NEWTs. After class ended, Anna waited for Hagrid to be distracted somewhere else before she snuck into his hut. She searched around for a moment before she found what she was looking for.

There was a small cage on a nearby shelf, a tiny niffler inside. It had a long snout and fluffy, black fur.

"Hey there, little guy." Anna whispered, reaching through the bars to tickle his side. He squeaked and rolled onto his back, letting her tickle his pudgy belly. "You wanna go on a trip with me?" she asked, opening her shoulder bag. She'd placed an Extension Charm on it before class. She carefully picked up the small cage and placed it into her bag before slipping back outside.

XXX

Anna sat at the dinner table not long after her trip to Hagrid's hut, sitting between Katie and Lee.

"I got it." she whispered to Lee. When he looked at her, she casually lifted the flap on her bag so he could glance inside and see the niffler in his cage. He smirked when he looked back at her.

"Great. Should we hurry with our dinner so we can start phase two before the toad's finished eating?"

"Absolutely." she answered, starting to fill her plate. They ate somewhat quickly and were among the first people to leave the Great Hall. They slipped into a secret passage to grab Anna's broom, then hurried outside until they were under Umbridge's office window.

"Okay, let's do this." Anna said, mounting her broom. Lee climbed on behind her and they floated up until they stopped in front of the open window. Lee kept the broom steady while Anna reached into her bag to pull out the cage.

"Okay, little guy," she said, holding the cage up to eyelevel to look at the little niffler, "I've got a treat for you. All the shiny things you can find." With that, she opened the cage, gently lifted him out, and stuck her arm through the open window to place him on the windowsill.

He sat there for less than a second, his tiny sides heaving with what Anna guessed was excitement, before he bolted into the room.

Lee laughed, moving the broom closer to the castle so they could both look into office.

The tiny creature was little more than a blur as he scurried around the room, searching desperately for all the shiny things he could find. It was almost hard to keep up with him. One minute he'd be on a shelf trying to shove one of Umbridge's kitten plates into the pouch on his belly, then he'd somehow pop out of a drawer in the desk, shoving all kinds of jewelry into his pouch.

Anna and Lee watched with grins for about ten minutes as the niffler basically tore Umbridge's office apart looking for any shiny object he could find. Then, they heard the familiar click of the office door opening. Anna and Lee ducked down so that they could barely peak into the room.

Umbridge had barely entered the room, freezing in shock, before the niffler was on her. She started screaming hysterically as the little creature attacked her fingers, trying to gnaw her many rings from the appendages.

Anna had to duck her head down, covering her mouth to stifle her laughter. Lee was doing the same, being careful to stay hidden from Umbridge's view, not that she would notice anyway with the panic she was in.

After a few moments, Anna decided Umbridge had had enough, and her little friend was probably exhausted. Reaching into the pocket of her robes, Anna pulled out a single Galleon. She wiggled it around, letting the light of the setting spring sun catch on the surface.

The niffler paused, his eyes catching the glint of the coin. Instantly, he scurried down from Umbridge's arm where he'd been trying to steal her many rings and climbed out the window, jumping into Anna's arms. The second the little creature was in Anna's possession, Lee turned the broom and sped away from the scene of the crime.

They were both laughing hysterically when they landed on the grass around the corner of the castle. Anna carefully put the niffler back in his cage, letting him keep the Galleon he'd grabbed from her fingers.

"Consider that payment, little guy. You were amazing." she cooed, tickling the niffler's belly through the bars of the cage. Lee laughed, passing Anna her broom after she returned the cage to her bag.

"That was awesome! Merlin, I can't wait to tell the twins!" Lee crowed.

"Just don't tell them over letter." Anna reminded him as they started walking toward the front doors of the castle. "You know Umbridge checks all the mail. We can tell them all about it if they come to visit or something."

XXX

The month of May continued much the same as the first week after Fred and George's departure.

While none of the staff bothered helping the new Headmistress, the Inquisitorial Squad tried helping Umbridge as much as they could, but mysterious things kept happening to their members. Warrington was taken to the hospital wing because he developed some kind of skin condition where it looked like he was coated in cornflakes. Pansy Parkinson missed a couple classes because she sprouted antlers.

Dozens of students also missed Defense Against the Dark Arts due to what had been dubbed 'Umbridge-itis'. Kids were using the ever-popular Skiving Snackboxes to faint, vomit, and get fevers and nosebleeds while in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Peeves was in rare form, as well, taking Fred's order very seriously. He soared around the school, toppling tables, bursting out of blackboards, knocking over statues, and shattering vases. He shut Mrs. Norris inside a suit of armor twice, smashed lanterns, and snuffed out candles. He juggled lit torches over students' heads, knocked neatly stacked piles of parchment into fires or out windows, flooded the second floor, dropped a bag of tarantulas in the Great Hall at breakfast,-Ron nearly fainted-and followed Umbridge for hours, blowing loud raspberries every time she tried to speak.

Montague, who no one had seen since Anna and the twins trapped him in the Vanishing Cabinet, had appeared trapped in a toilet on the fourth floor. He was confused and disoriented and was staying in the hospital wing for the foreseeable future. Angelina, and the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team, saw this as a blessing. If Montague couldn't recover in time for Slytherin's match against Hufflepuff, Gryffindor may have a shot at winning the Cup.

As they hoped, Hufflepuff barely beat Slytherin, which put Gryffindor back in the running for their match against Ravenclaw, which Anna was currently waiting for.

"You ready for this?" Ginny asked, standing next to Anna, who was looking out of the locker room at the full stands.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Anna answered, giving the young Seeker a small smile.

The day was warm and clear. A perfect last weekend for May, and a perfect day for a Quidditch match. And a perfect last Quidditch match for Anna as her Hogwarts career was slowly drawing to an end.

"Can't believe this is your last match." Katie sighed, giving Anna a sad smile.

Anna returned it, trying not to let it get to her. Especially the fact that Fred and George wouldn't be playing alongside her.

"We'll just have to make this match count." Angelina stated firmly as she joined them in the doorway, her broom slung over her shoulder. "Now, let's get out there."

Together, the team mounted their brooms and flew onto the pitch. Lee listed their names with a bit less gusto than he normally did. They formed a ragged circle with the Ravenclaw team, waiting for Madam Hooch to release the balls.

"And they're off!" Lee shouted as Davies nabbed the Quaffle from the air. Anna, Angelina, and Katie tried to intercept him, but he wove in between all of them, flying straight for the Gryffindor goals.

"Come on, Ron. Come on." Anna muttered, flying as fast as she could even though there was no way she'd get there in time to stop the Ravenclaw Captain.

"He's going to shoot-and-and-" Lee swore very loudly into the megaphone. "And he's scored."

Anna sighed sadly, seeing how disappointed Ron was. Especially when the stupid Slytherins started singing that stupid song.

Angelina caught the Quaffle after Davies's goal and started flying toward the other end of the field. The Ravenclaw Chasers tried to intercept her, so Ang passed the ball to Anna, who passed it to Katie, who passed it back to avoid a Ravenclaw Chaser. Anna caught the ball again and threw it into the Ravenclaw goal, barely making it past the Ravenclaw Keeper.

Half the crowd erupted in cheers, and Anna gave Ginny a high-five as they flew past each other.

Angelina grabbed the Quaffle and went to score another goal, but a Ravenclaw Chaser, Anna thought his name was Bradley or something, stole it from her. He flew toward Ron on the other end. Sloper tried hitting a Bludger to stop Bradley, but missed and almost hit Ginny instead.

Anna held her breath, hoping desperately that Ron could save the goal.

Bradley feinted to the right, but Ron saw it coming and miraculously managed to save the goal!

"YES!" Anna screamed, throwing a fist in the air as most of the crowd roared with applause. Katie caught the Quaffle and flew back down the pitch.

The match continued much in the same way. Gryffindor managed to get in a few more goals, but Ravenclaw didn't get in a single one for the rest of the match. Ron managed to save all of them! Ron's goal-keeping was not only boosting his own confidence, it was boosting the whole team's morale.

Finally, after less than an hour, Ginny caught the Snitch right out from under Cho's nose. The crowd roared again as the teams flew to the ground. Gryffindor met in a huge group hug, all laughing, cheering, and jumping with joy as they surrounded both Ron and Ginny. Anna barely caught sight of Cho crying angrily and chucking her broom on the ground, but she was too overjoyed to care.

The Gryffindor team approached McGonagall, who was beaming proudly at them as she held the Quidditch Cup in her hands. Ron glanced at Angelina, who shoved him to the front. He looked surprised, but his wide smile remained firmly planted on his face as he stepped forward to take the large trophy from their Head of House. Once it was in his hands, he slowly turned to look at the rest of his team, as if the cheering crowd was a dull background noise.

The team swarmed Ron again and lifted him onto their shoulders. That's when Anna realized the crowd was singing 'Weasley is our King'. She was too thrilled to be angry, but before she could think too much of it, she realized it was a different song the crowd was singing

' _Weasley is our King,_

 _Weasley is our King,_

 _He didn't let the Quaffle in,_

 _Weasley is our King._

 _Weasley can save anything,_

 _He never leaves a single ring,_

 _That's why Gryffindors all sing:_

 _Weasley is our King.'_

Anna didn't bother singing along. She just cheered as they carried Ron off the pitch. The team moved slowly towards the castle, the crowd behind them still cheering and singing.

"HARRY! HERMIONE!"

Anna glanced up at Ron when she heard him scream his best friends' names. Then, following his eyes, she found the other two on the edge of the crowd.

"WE DID IT! WE WON!" Ron shouted at them.

There was a bit of a hassle at the castle doors, everyone trying to get through at once. Ron's head got bumped on the lintel, but no one wanted to put him down yet. Finally, they all managed to squeeze into the entrance hall and headed for the Gryffindor common room.

Anna broke away from the team and met up with Lee so the two could head to the kitchens for food for the celebrations.

After they'd returned to the common room and handed out the food and drinks they'd grabbed, Anna sat in a chair in the corner, but didn't feel even the slightest bit left out. She watched the festivities with a wide smile, butterbeer in hand, and a warm, elated feeling in her stomach. Laughing as people danced on the tables, juggled bottles, and cheered joyously.

And even though she was completely thrilled with their victory and enjoying the party, Anna still couldn't help wishing Fred and George had been there.

XXX

Anna folded the dried letter into thirds and addressed it to 'Fred and George Weasley' on the front before heading down her dormitory steps. It was the next day, and it was warm and Anna had nothing to do. She could study, but she didn't really feel up to studying after the team's victory the day before. So, she was owling a letter to the twins to tell them all about the match. She wanted to tell them about all the pranks her and Lee had been pulling, as well as everything that had been happening since they left, but she didn't want to risk Umbridge intercepting the letter.

Just as Anna's foot touched the floor of the common room, Alicia looked up from where she was standing by the open window, an unfamiliar owl on her arm.

"Oh, Anna! This owl has a letter for you." she announced, approaching Anna and holding her arm out. The owl fluttered the remaining space and perched on Anna's shoulder, holding out a leg with a note tied to it.

Anna untied the letter, and the owl swooped right back out the window. Unrolling the piece of parchment, Anna looked down at the messy, unfamiliar handwriting.

' _Meet me at the Three Broomsticks before noon._

 _Trust me, you'll be glad you did.'_

Anna reread the note curiously a couple times, turning it over to double-check that her name was on it. "I don't recognize this writing." she said out loud, looking up at Alicia, who stepped forward to read it.

"Well, how are you supposed to get into Hogsmeade? You won't have a way to get there since it's not a Hogsmeade weekend." Alicia pointed out. "They must not know Hogwarts rules that well."

 _'Or they know Hogwarts_ really _well,'_ Anna thought to herself, thinking of the secret passages that lead out of the castle. Maybe it was someone who knew about the map, like Remus, her father, or the twins. Of course, Pettigrew knew about the map, too, but he was a wanted fugitive. He wouldn't risk going to the Three Broomsticks.

"I'll see you later, Alicia." Anna told her friend, heading for the portrait hole. She stuffed both her letter and the note into her jean pockets. Her letter to the twins could wait until after this little mystery.

She made the long, dreary crawl through the passage into Honeydukes cellar and carefully snuck through the shop until she found herself outside on the main lane of Hogsmeade. The warm, May sun shone down on her back, warming her skin through her loose shirt and jeans. She took in a deep breath of fresh air through her nose before walking the short distance to the Three Broomsticks.

She pulled her wand out and hid it in her sleeve before she entered the pub, just in case. Stepping into the dark pub, she looked around for a moment while her eyes adjusted to the low light, looking for someone she might recognize.

Finally, as her eyes swept the booths, she caught a flash of ginger hair. Her eyes froze, recognizing the face that was already smiling smugly back at her. A shocked, excited smile spread over her lips as she hurried across the pub.

Fred stood up from the booth, already opening his arms for a hug. Anna slammed into him, her arms wrapping tightly around his midsection.

Fred chuckled into her hair, kissing the top of her head. "Careful, Anna, you'll crack my ribs." he joked. Anna laughed, leaning up and kissing him briefly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked excitedly.

Fred gestured for her to sit in the booth while he explained, scooting in next to her. "Well, I figured I should stop in and visit, since letters aren't really cutting it. I'm not getting any good information in them." he told her pointedly, his arm behind her head.

Anna grimaced. "Sorry, but-"

"-Umbridge is watching the post, yeah I know. So, tell me what's been going on. The last Quidditch match was yesterday, wasn't it?" Fred asked curiously.

Anna lit up. "Yes! I was just about to send a letter to you and George about that when I got your-wait. I know your handwriting, and that note wasn't in your handwriting."

Fred smirked smugly. "I wrote it with my left hand, and I sent it from the Post Office down the road. Wanted to make sure you were surprised."

Anna laughed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Well, you certainly succeeded."

"Anyway, the match." Fred urged after ordering two warm butterbeers and two orders of fish and chips from the waitress.

"We won." Anna told him smugly.

"You're joking!" he exclaimed, laughing in shock. "How?"

"I don't know." Anna laughed, shrugging. "Ron just…he just started saving goals like crazy. The only goal he actually missed was, like, the first one. And then Ginny caught the Snitch right from under Cho Chang's nose. She was pretty pissed, but it was brilliant."

Fred laughed, throwing his head against the booth. "That's…wow, that's amazing. Wish me and George had been able to play."

"Yeah," Anna agreed softly, leaning her head on his shoulder, "me, too."

The waitress returned in that moment to place their food and drinks on the table. Fred removed his arm from the back of the booth so he could eat.

"So, what else has been going on?" he asked curiously before taking a bite.

Another wide smile spread over Anna's lips. "Oh, where do I start?"

So, she started from the day the twins left the school, telling him every detail she could remember. She told him all about the swamp still being where they left it, all the pranks people had been playing, and everything she and Lee had gotten up to.

"Sounds like you've been having fun without me." Fred told her, giving a smirk before he took another swig of his butterbeer.

"Just a bit." she teased. "But it would've been so much more fun if you and George were here." she admitted, her voice a bit softer.

Fred's smile softened, too, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders again, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

"So, did you and Harry get to talk to your dad at all?" he finally asked, taking another bite of his food.

"Yeah, we did." Anna admitted. "Remus was there, too." she answered, taking a bite.

"What did you guys talk about?" Fred asked carefully, tilting his head slightly to see her out of the corner of his eyes.

Anna chewed her food slowly before swallowing. She studied her plate for a few moments before looking up at her boyfriend. He looked back carefully, studying her expression to get a feel for what she was thinking.

"Harry…found out something about my dad." she finally admitted, looking down. "Well, about all the Marauders, really. Apparently, they weren't as… _nice_ as we would have liked to believe."

"What do you mean?" Fred asked slowly.

Anna poked at her food for a moment. "Did I ever tell you about the bad… _prank_ that my dad played on Snape when they were in school?" she asked, not looking up.

"No, I don't think so." Fred answered, shaking his head slowly. He would've been more excited to hear about a prank played on Snape, but Anna's expression gave him the impression it wasn't a funny story.

"Apparently,…one night on the full moon, Snape was being nosy about where Remus would go every month. My dad was sick of him sticking his nose where it didn't belong and told him how to get into the Whomping Willow after Remus. Well, Snape tried it, and if James Potter hadn't stopped him, Snape would've found Remus as a werewolf. He could've been killed because of my dad." Anna admitted softly.

Fred stared carefully at Anna's profile, his eyes tracing her eyes, nose, and cheek.

"Think that's why Snape freaked out on you our first year, when we dumped that slime on him?" Fred asked carefully.

Anna glanced up thoughtfully. "I guess. And he hated James and Sirius, so that's obviously why he hates me and Harry."

"Is that what you guys talked about? What you and Harry needed to talk to Sirius about?" Fred asked.

"No-well, not that incident. I guess…I won't get into detail, 'cause it's Harry's business, really. I guess Harry…saw a memory of Snape's and it made him question his dad's character." Anna answered slowly. "And when he told me about it,…well, it involved my dad, too, obviously. I guess,…I just thought that story about my dad luring Snape to the Willow was a…a one-off, you know?" She looked up at Fred, who scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her to pull her into his side. "It just feels like my dad was kinda…cruel when he was in school. Granted, you and George have pulled similar stunts, and I've been involved in them, so I can't get that upset. It just seemed like Snape didn't really ask for a lot of those incidents. It felt like my dad and James attacked him for no reason."

"Well, they obviously changed." Fred pointed out. "They joined the Order, and your mum and Lily Potter wouldn't have married them if they were that cruel."

Anna nodded. "True. Plus, that was when they were fifteen. They probably matured a bit within a couple years."

"And I've seen your dad with you, your mum, Harry, and Aslan." Fred pointed out. "I don't think someone who was genuinely 'cruel' could love all of you the way he does."

Anna smiled warmly up at him. "I know. Thanks. Anyway," she sat up, pulling away to continue eating, "tell me how the shop's doing."

They talked, and ate, and caught up on everything. They eventually left the Three Broomsticks and sat out on the sun-warmed grass behind the shops to continue talking and snuggling. Fred told her how the shop was flourishing. They had dozens of people coming into the shop every day, but since most of their customers were school-aged, they got most of their business from mail orders. Him and George were up to their ears in orders to fill and shelves to stock to the point they'd hired someone to help them out, a young witch named Verity. Of course, Fred assured Anna that, while Verity was great, Anna was much prettier.

Finally, as the sun started going down, Anna had to admit she should get back to the school. So, Fred walked with her to the front door of Honeydukes.

"I'll see you soon." he told her, turning her to face him. "I'll be waiting for you when you step off the Hogwarts Express, and I'll sweep you off your feet." he added with a slight smirk.

"Uh huh, just keep your greeting PG, because my dad will be there." Anna warned him playfully, leaning up to kiss him.

When they pulled away, Fred still smiled down at her. "I'll think about it."

Anna swatted his chest, shaking her head at him. "So, does that mean I won't get anymore surprise visits? I have to wait until I get out of school?"

"Not sure." Fred shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets and rocking on the balls of his feet. Then, he smirked and leaned down so his face was closer to hers. "But even if I was, I wouldn't ruin the surprise." he whispered, winking at her.

Anna chuckled, wrapping her arms around his midsection in a tight hug, burying her face in his shirt while his arms wrapped around her back.

"It won't be long." he assured her, kissing the top of her head. "You'll be spending so much time studying for your NEWTs, it'll be over before you know it."

"I know." Anna agreed, leaning up again for a kiss. "Love you. Tell George I said hi and I miss him, too."

"I will. Love you, too."

Anna smiled one more time at Fred before entering Honeydukes, sneaking into the cellar and taking the secret passage back to the school.

XXX

Anna stormed into the common room, slamming the portrait closed behind her. She saw Lee sitting and talking with Angelina, Alicia, and Katie. Stomping over to him, she smacked the back of his head. He lurched and whipped his head around, rubbing the back where she hit him.

"OW! What was that for?" he demanded.

"Tell me," she spoke through gritted teeth, " _please_ tell me you didn't put another niffler in Umbridge's office."

Lee's eyes widened just slightly. "Um, yeah, I did. Why?"

"Why didn't you tell me about it?" she asked.

"'Cause you've been busy with NEWTs and you didn't want to pull anymore pranks for a while." Lee admitted honestly. "What's the big deal? You were all for it last time."

"Yeah, well, I overheard Umbridge talking with someone a few minutes ago about this niffler incident. She said she thinks it might have been Hagrid who put the niffler there." When Lee's eyes went wide again, Anna swept on. "The niffler tried to take a chunk out of her leg this time. She thinks, well, she's at least thinking of blaming Hagrid for it. If she can blame this on Hagrid, she can fire him. Maybe even have him thrown out, or arrested or something."

Lee scratched the back of his neck guiltily. "Jeez. I didn't think it would be that bad. It worked out great last time."

Anna sighed heavily, dropping down onto the couch between Lee and Katie. "Yeah, well,…maybe it'll blow over."

June had been spent with a lot of studying, especially among the Fifth and Seventh years. The first week of OWLs and NEWTs had just finished, and they finally had a weekend to relax and focus on their next round of tests. The NEWTs were scheduled basically the same as the OWLs, just Seventh years entered the Great Hall for their tests after the Fifth years left.

Anna's schedule had started with her Charms NEWT on Monday. Tuesday was Transfiguration, Wednesday was Herbology, and Thursday Defense Against the Dark Arts. Anna didn't have a NEWT on Friday, since she didn't take Ancient Runes. So, she spent it studying for her remaining NEWTs.

Her next week would be Potions on Monday, Care of Magical Creatures on Tuesday, nothing on Wednesday, and History of Magic on Thursday. Then, she would finally be done with Hogwarts exams for the rest of her life.

XXX

Anna sighed heavily, her head falling against the window with a dull thump. She was sitting at a table by one of the windows in the Gryffindor common room late Wednesday night. She'd been studying for a couple hours for her History of Magic NEWT on the following day, her last exam.

"Do your brains hurt?" Angelina asked from across the table, massaging her temples with her fingers as she glanced around at all her friends. Alicia was sitting next to Anna, and Katie was next to Angelina.

"Uh huh." Anna and Alicia groaned, nodding their heads. Katie glanced among her older friends, smiling grimly.

"You guys are making me dread next year." she told them seriously, making the others laugh.

Anna chuckled, once again leaning her head tiredly against the cool glass of the window. She tiredly opened her eyes, letting them sweep over the dark school grounds. She vaguely glanced at Hagrid's hut in the top corner of the window before movement on the ground caught her eye.

Turning her head but not lifting it from the window, Anna could just make out about half a dozen shapes moving across the grass. The only thing she could really see was the moonlight highlighting their heads and shoulders as they walked. Sitting up straighter, Anna squinted in an attempt to get a better look. Then, she recognized she short, waddling figure in the front of the group.

"What are you doing?" she mumbled to herself.

"What?" Katie asked, glancing over at her friend. Anna didn't bother explaining, her attention zeroed in on the people following Umbridge across the grass. Why would she be walking across the ground after midnight?

They continued walking, and Anna tried not to panic when she realized they were heading straight for Hagrid's hut. Her throat closed when the group reached Hagrid's hut. The knock must have been loud, because Anna heard the muffled sound even through the common room window. Then, she could hear Fang barking from within Hagrid's hut.

The lights flashed on in Hagrid's windows, shining upon the group. The door swung open, casting six long, people-shaped shadows across the grass. Then, the six people crossed the threshold and the door closed behind them.

Anna glanced worriedly back at her friends. They all tore their eyes from the window and returned her worried expression.

"That wasn't Umbridge,…was it?" Alicia asked worriedly.

"Yeah,…yeah, I think it was." Anna mumbled, turning back to stare expectantly at the small hut. Her eyes burned as she refused to blink, watching closely for any sign of movement. Shadows occasionally passed by the hut's windows, briefly blocking the light from inside as people moved about. But Anna couldn't get any good looks at any of them.

Then, still muffled by the glass of the common room window, Anna heard the unmistakable sound of a roar coming from the cabin. She jumped, her shoulders tensing as she stared down at the cabin with her nose touching the cool glass.

Then, with a loud _BANG_ , Hagrid's front door swung open. Anna sucked in a sharp breath and stood up, even though there was nothing she could do.

The light flooding from Hagrid's open front door illuminated the scene quite clearly. He continued to roar, swinging his fists about at the six people who were surrounding him. All the figures appeared to have their wands out and pointed at him, shooting red lights at the half-giant in an obvious attempt to Stun him.

"No!" Anna exclaimed, and she wasn't alone. Several people who were sitting at the other windows had seen or heard the commotion and were gasping or calling for others to come down from their dormitories. Katie and Alicia also stood up to get a good look while Ang leaned closer to the window, all of them with horrified expressions.

Red lights were flying at Hagrid from every direction, but they appeared to be bouncing off him. Anna guessed his giant genetics made him tougher-skinned. Hagrid continued to fight, and Anna could vaguely hear some of the people shouting, but their voices were muffled by the glass. Hagrid roared something back at them, but it was again muffled.

Fang, who appeared so tiny from this distance, was running about and attempting to defend Hagrid from the other wizards. But then a Stunning Spell hit him and he fell limply to the ground. Anna lurched against the window, instinctively shoving her hands against it as if to push it up. Her rational mind was drowned out in a panicked fear that Fang was dead and Hagrid would soon be, too.

Hagrid roared again with raw fury when his dog fell. He lifted the wizard responsible off the ground and threw him about ten feet. When he didn't get up again, Anna worried Hagrid had killed him. He'd surely be sent back to Azkaban if that was the case.

"I've never seen Hagrid that angry before." Alicia murmured worriedly.

"He's defending himself." Anna snapped defensively before she could stop herself, her eyes not leaving the chaos outside. "They attacked him first, and they outnumber him."

"Someone else is coming!" a young girl shrieked from a couple windows over. Anna tore her eyes from the fight to see the front doors of the castle had burst open and another long shadow was hurrying across the grass. Anna instinctively reached into her robes, her fist closing around her wand even though she knew there was nothing she could do from this distance. It would take her at least ten minutes to run through the castle and out to Hagrid's hut.

But then, she thought she recognized the person running. Maybe. Hopefully.

Then, she heard the muffled voice of McGonagall shriek as she ran, "How dare you! How _dare_ you!"

"It's McGonagall." Angelina announced to the room as a whole, the crowd growing as people came down from bed to see what the commotion was.

"Leave him alone!" McGonagall shouted again as she ran. " _Alone_ , I say!"

Anna held her breath, feeling hopeful now that her loyal Head of House was there to help Hagrid. Surely she could convince those horrible people to leave him alone.

McGonagall was still shouting at them, and Anna was starting to relax her tense shoulders. If anyone could fix this mess, it'd be McGonagall. She could fix anything, right?

But then McGonagall's shouting was cut short when _at least_ four Stunners were shot from the various attackers. Several people in the common room screamed and shouted, but Anna went deathly cold when she saw the four red lights hit McGonagall halfway between the hut and the castle. For a horrible moment, McGonagall seemed to glow from an inner red light, then she was lifted off her feet, landing hard on her back, and was still.

"No." Katie breathed fearfully over Anna's shoulder.

"They didn't…they couldn't have…" Anna stuttered, her eyes staring hard at the older Transfiguration teacher, pleading silently for her to move.

Hagrid's enraged voice boomed, louder than before. "COWARDS! RUDDY COWARDS! HAVE SOME O' THAT-AN THAT-"

Anna tore her eyes back to the battle and saw Hagrid swing his fists as two of the nearest attackers, knocking them out cold. Then, Hagrid bent over and lifted Fang onto his back, draping the limp dog around his shoulders.

"Get him, get him!" Umbridge screamed, but neither her nor her remaining helper seemed too keen to approach the angry half-giant.

Then, Hagrid turned and began running with his dog still on his back. Umbridge shot one last Stunning Spell after him, but she missed and Hagrid disappeared into the darkness.

There was a moment of tense silence before people began whispering among themselves. Anna remained silent, her eyes glancing between where Hagrid vanished, to McGonagall's limp body, to Umbridge and the other attackers.

"I can't believe they would do something so…disgusting." Angelina spat, her lip curled in disgust and anger.

"Four Stunners to the chest." Katie whispered, still looking out at McGonagall. "Would that…I mean, that just seems like it could cause a lot of damage."

By now, most of Gryffindor House had gathered in the common room and was discussing what had happened.

"Should-shouldn't someone go out to check on McGonagall?" Anna asked shakily, still looking down at the limp body. She didn't trust Umbridge to make sure McGonagall would be okay.

"If you go down there, Umbridge would probably have you expelled for aiding Hagrid's escape or something equally insane." Alicia pointed out.

"But we can't just leave her out there." Anna insisted worriedly. "What if she dies? She needs to be taken to Madam Pomfrey."

"Anna, someone'll come get her." Katie insisted.

"Yeah, look." Angelina pointed out, pointing at the window. Anna looked in time to see several people hurrying from the front door toward McGonagall's body. They all watched, feeling somewhat relieved, as these new people hovered McGonagall back to the castle.

About ten minutes later, the Fifth years started trickling in after finishing their Astronomy OWL. Dean and Seamus made sure that everyone knew what they'd seen of the fight from the top of the Astronomy Tower.

"But why sack Hagrid now?" Angelina asked, shaking her head in confusion. "It's not like Trelawney, he's been teaching much better than usual this year!"

"Umbridge hates part-humans." Hermione pointed out bitterly as her, Harry, and Ron finally entered the common room. They joined their fellow Gryffindors sitting around the room. "She was always going to try and get Hagrid out."

"And she thought Hagrid was putting nifflers in her office." Katie pointed out. Anna glared at the next table, right at Lee, who scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yeah,…that was me. But you helped the first time!" he pointed out, pointing a finger back at Anna, who blushed when everyone looked between them.

"Doing it one time was funny. Doing it again would've put Umbridge even more on the warpath." she defended herself.

"She'd have sacked Hagrid anyway." Dean Thomas pointed out. "He was too close to Dumbledore."

"That's true." Harry agreed, sinking into an armchair next to Hermione's.

"I just hope Professor McGonagall's alright." Lavender spoke up tearfully.

"They carried her back up to the castle," Colin Creevey spoke up, "we watched from the dormitory windows. She didn't look very well…"

"Madam Pomfrey will sort her out." Alicia stated firmly. "She's never failed yet."

People stayed up in the common room until nearly four in the morning talking about what happened. When Anna eventually fell into bed, she dozed into a fitful sleep, dreaming of what school would've been like without McGonagall there to back her up.

XXX

Anna, Angelina, and Alicia spent the hour before their History of Magic NEWT sitting in the entrance hall, quizzing each other on the multiple questions they were sure to face on their test.

After a restless night of sleep, Anna woke up late in the morning, which was fine since her test wasn't until late afternoon. She tried checking in on McGonagall, but Pomfrey wouldn't let anyone in to see her. So, instead, Anna picked at her food at lunch and tried to study for her last exam.

The Fifth years were currently taking their History of Magic OWL in the Great Hall, while the Seventh years waited patiently in the entrance hall for their turn.

It was nearing time for the OWLs to be finished when the large doors to the Great Hall creaked open. Everyone fell quiet and turned to stare as the Ministry official, Professor Tufty, lead a babbling Harry from the Great Hall.

Worried, Anna stood up from her seat on the floor, but she couldn't hear what Harry was mumbling with so many people in her way. Then, Tufty returned to the Great Hall while Harry took off at a run up the marble staircase.

"What was that about?" Angelina asked curiously, the three girls still staring up the staircase after Harry had already vanished.

"I don't know." Anna murmured worriedly. She was half-tempted to follow him, but she would need to go in for her exam soon. Oh well. She could just ask Hermione and Ron if they knew what was happening when they came out after their OWL.

It was another fifteen minutes or so when the Great Hall doors opened again. Ron and Hermione were the first through the door, and hurried across the entrance hall with worried expressions. Anna shoved her way through the crowd to reach them near the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey. What happened to Harry?" she asked, following them up a few steps as they continued on.

"He-Harry!" Hermione cut herself off and Anna followed her worried expression to the top of the stairs. Harry was standing up there waiting for them. "What happened? Are you alright? Are you ill?" she questioned quickly as she, Anna, and Ron stopped in front of him.

"Where have you been?" Ron demanded.

Harry looked frantically around at the three of them before looking around to check no one was around to hear him. Then, he faced them again and said something that made Anna's heart stop.

"Voldemort's got Sirius."


	15. Captive

" _What?"_ Hermione exclaimed while Anna felt her heart fly into her throat.

"How d'you-?"

"Saw it. Just now." Harry interrupted Ron to explain. "When I fell asleep in the exam."

"B-but…how?" Anna forced herself to ask. "Where?"

"I dunno how." Harry admitted. "But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls, and they're at the end of row ninety-seven…He's trying to use Sirius to get whatever it is he wants from in there…He's torturing him…Says he'll end by killing him…"

Anna swallowed thickly, feeling her heart pound in her chest as she took in the fact that Harry's voice was shaking, his face pale with a light sheen of sweat.

"W-what are we going to do?" she found herself whispering, feeling her eyes prick with scared tears. She couldn't lose her dad. Not now, after everything they'd been through.

"We have to get there." Harry stated, looking thoughtfully at his feet.

"G-get there?" Ron repeated after a moment of silence, stuttering nervously.

"Get to the Department of Mysteries, so we can rescue Sirius." Harry explained as if it were obvious.

"But-Harry…" Ron tried weakly.

"What? _What?"_ Harry demanded, looking between the three of them. Ron and Hermione were gaping at him like he'd lost it, but Anna just looked lost, like she couldn't keep up with what was happening.

"Well,…it just doesn't make sense, Harry!" Hermione insisted. "I mean, how would they have gotten in to the Department of Mysteries. And why would Voldemort use Sirius to get to the weapon, or whatever this thing is?"

"I don't know. There could be lots of reasons!" Harry insisted, barely keeping himself from shouting and gaining the attention of the Seventh years below them in the entrance hall.

"Hey, I just thought of something." Ron spoke up. "Sirius's brother was a Death Eater, wasn't he? Maybe he told Sirius the secret of how to get the weapon."

"But there's no proof of any of this!" Hermione insisted desperately.

"Hermione, Harry's seen them!" Ron pointed out, rounding on her.

"Anna, back me up here!" Hermione turned to the other girl desperately.

Anna swallowed thickly, looking between Hermione and Harry silently for a long moment before her eyes fixed on Harry.

"You said Voldemort was torturing him?" she asked quietly, her breathing shaky.

Harry nodded quickly. "Yes! That's why we need to go and save him, NOW." he insisted desperately.

"But Harry," Hermione interrupted again, "what if he's just trying to lure you to the Department of Mysteries, like he did when he took Ginny into the Chamber of Secrets! He knows you'll rush to save Sirius."

"So what? It doesn't matter if he's doing this just to get to me!" Harry argued. "With McGonagall in St. Mungo's, there's no one from the Order left at Hogwarts that can help us! And if we don't go, Sirius will be killed!"

"What's going on?"

The four arguing teens stopped when Ginny and Luna appeared next to them at the top of the stairs. Ginny had been the one to speak.

"Never you mind." Harry told her roughly.

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "There's no need to take that tone with me." she told him coolly. "I was only wondering if I could help."

"Well, you can't." he told her shortly.

"You're being rather rude, you know." Luna told him calmly.

Harry swore under his breath, looking away from the two girls.

"Wait," Hermione said suddenly, "Harry, they _can_ help." she insisted. When Harry, Ron, and Anna looked curiously at her, she continued, "Harry, we need to make sure that Sirius is in danger-"

"I've told you, I saw-"

"Harry, I'm begging you, please!" Hermione begged desperately. "Let's just check that Sirius isn't at home or at headquarters before we go charging off to London. If we find out he's not there then I won't stop you. I'll come with you, and I'll do whatever it takes to save him-"

"And how are we going to check?" Harry demanded angrily.

"We could use Umbridge's fireplace like we did last time." Anna spoke up for the first time on her own. Her shakiness was starting to abate, being replaced with a desperate desire to know that her dad was safe.

"Yes, we can do that!" Hermione agreed. "But we'll need to draw Umbridge away, and we'll need lookouts. That's where Ginny and Luna would come in."

Despite not knowing the full story, Ginny was quick to voice her agreement. "Yeah, we can do that."

"Okay." Harry agreed aggressively. "Okay, if you can think of a way of doing this quickly, I'm with you, otherwise I'm going to the Department of Mysteries right now-"

"The Department of Mysteries?" Luna repeated in shock. "But how are you going to get there?"

Everyone seemed to ignore her.

"Right, well," Hermione spoke again, twisting her hands together as she thought everything over, "someone has to go and find Umbridge and-and send her off in the wrong direction, keep her away from her office. They could tell her-I don't know-that Peeves if up to something awful…"

"I'll do it." Anna and Ron spoke up at the same time before looking at each other.

"You could go find Umbridge and tell her Peeves is smashing up the Transfiguration department, since it's miles from her office." Anna suggested, "If I mention the twins, I might be able to convince him to actually do it, if I can find him…"

"Okay." Hermione agreed when Ron nodded. "Now we need to keep students away from her office while we force entry, or some Slytherin is bound to tip her off…"

"Luna and I can stand at either end of the corridor," Ginny suggested, "and warn people not to go down there because someone's let off a load of Garroting Gas." Hermione looked surprised at how quickly Ginny came up with that cover story, but Anna had an idea.

"Did you get that from Fred and George?" Anna asked. "Because we never got around to pulling that one off."

"Yep." Ginny nodded with a small grin.

"Okay," Hermione continued, "well, then, Harry, you and I will be under the Invisibility Cloak, and we'll sneak into the office and you can talk to Sirius-"

"He's not there, Hermione!" Harry snapped.

"I mean, you can-can check whether Sirius is at home or not while I keep watch, I don't think you should be in there alone."

"…Okay, thanks." Harry finally muttered.

"Okay, so should we go?" Anna asked hurriedly.

" _Now_?" Hermione asked, looking shocked.

"Of course now!" Harry exclaimed angrily. "What did you think, we're going to wait until after dinner or something? Hermione, Sirius is being tortured _right now_!"

"But-your NEWT." Hermione tried, looking over at Anna, who glanced over her shoulder where her classmates were just entering the Great Hall.

"…I'll be late, but it'll be fine. This is more important. If Harry's right, my dad could be in danger." Anna decided firmly.

"Oh…alright." Hermione gave in. "You go and get your Cloak and we'll meet you at the end of Umbridge's corridor, okay?"

Harry didn't bother to answer, he just spun around and bolted down the corridor.

"Anna!"

Looking over her shoulder and down the stairs, she saw Angelina and Alicia waiting in the entrance hall, waving her down. Almost all the other seventh years had disappeared into the Great Hall.

Unable to find words to describe what she was doing, Anna swallowed thickly, shook her head at them, and hurried away with Hermione and the others.

Said bookworm was looking at her from the corner of her eye as they fast-walked.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hermione asked doubtfully. "I mean,…don't you need your History of Magic NEWT to get the job you want?"

Anna looked down at her feet as they walked. "Look, if this goes well, we'll be done in about ten to fifteen minutes, then I'll run back to the Great Hall and start my exam late. If I can't take it,…maybe I can explain this to McGonagall and see if she can pull some strings…if she gets out of the hospital wing. Worst case scenario…I won't get the NEWT, I won't get that job, and I'll work at the twins' shop. Which wouldn't be that bad, really. I'd love to work at the shop with them. But my dad is far more important than some job."

Hermione didn't look convinced, but let the subject drop.

The group was waiting huddled together at the end of Umbridge's corridor, deciding shortly that if they saw Umbridge coming they'd sing a loud chorus of 'Weasley is our King'. Harry joined them soon after.

"Got it." he panted when he reached them. "Ready to go, then?"

"Alright." Hermione whispered as a group of sixth years passed them. "So, Anna, you try to find Peeves and get him to destroy the Transfiguration department. Ron, go head Umbridge off…Ginny and Luna, if you can start moving people out of the corridor. Harry and I will get the cloak on and wait until the coast is clear…"

Anna walked off with Ron at her side, both moving among the other students at a fast pace.

"So, where do you think Peeves could be?" Ron asked after a moment.

Anna chewed her lip for a moment. "Honestly?…I have no clue. He could be anywhere in the school, doing anything. He can fly through walls. How am I supposed to find him?"

"Don't know. What if you can't find him before I find Umbridge?" Ron asked.

Anna sighed, running a hand through her hair. "We'll just have to lie to Umbridge. I mean, she'll have to go running to the Transfiguration department either way because she knows no other Professors are going to help her."

"True."

They only had the chance to search for Peeves for about ten minutes before they ran into Umbridge walking down the corridor with her little clipboard.

"Headmistress!" Ron exclaimed in a fairly convincingly worried voice.

"May I help you with something?" Umbridge asked warily, even though she attempted to hide it behind her sugary smile as she glanced between the two of them.

"Yes! Peeves is destroying the Transfiguration department!" Ron exclaimed hurriedly.

"He's trashing everything." Anna added, hoping that would hurry Umbridge along.

Umbridge looked between them slowly for a few moments before saying, "Well, I better go see about that."

Ron and Anna nodded quickly, not moving until Umbridge slowly turned and walked in the other direction. They waited a second before turning and walking back toward Umbridge's office.

"So, out of curiosity, why did you volunteer to do this?" Ron asked when they were out of earshot. "I would've thought you'd want to be with Harry, to see for sure that your dad is fine."

Anna thought about it for a moment before answering. "I'm not sure. I guess, part of me is almost scared to know. Plus, we only need one person to check, and Hermione will make sure Harry double-checks that my dad is actually in danger. This way, I can do something helpful that may take my mind off the fact that my dad _might_ be being tortured by Voldemort."

Ron nodded in understanding and they remained mostly quiet as they hurried back to Umbridge's office. When they reached the corridor her office was in, they found Ginny at one end of the corridor, and Luna at the other. Other than that, the corridor was completely cleared of people.

"Nice job." Anna complimented them with a small smile. "Fred and George would be so proud." she added teasingly.

Ginny laughed. "Thanks. So, you found Peeves and Umbridge?"

"Um, well, we found Umbridge. We couldn't find Peeves, but we told Umbridge the cover story." Anna admitted.

"Well, that should be good enough." Ginny agreed just before her eyes shifted to look between Anna and Ron's shoulders. "Uh, we've got company."

Anna and Ron turned to looked over their shoulders, and found several members of the Inquisitorial Squad approaching them looking particularly arrogant. Turning around to face them, Anna and Ron stepped to stand in line with Ginny between them.

"Unless you lot want to walk right into a cloud of Garroting Gas and suffocate, I suggest you take a different route." Ginny warned seriously.

"Oh, really?" Malfoy asked with a haughty tone as he stopped right in front of Ginny, his little gang of Slytherins fanning out around him and facing the three Gryffindors down. Anna recognized Malfoy, Warrington, and one of Malfoy's little henchmen Crabbe, but couldn't put names to some of the others. "That actually sounds like something you lot would pull off as a joke. Why would you suddenly try to stop us from walking right into this supposed gas?"

"Well, I suppose a few less Slytherins around would be a relief." Ginny noted thoughtfully.

Crabbe and a couple of the girls looked nervous, but Malfoy and Warrington weren't buying it.

"Nice try." Malfoy sneered. "But we're under orders to bring you lot in."

"'In' where?" Anna asked. "We aren't doing anything wrong."

"That remains to be seen." Warrington countered. "And aren't you supposed to be taking your History of Magic NEWT?" he added to Anna.

"I'd ask you the same, but you probably failed your History of Magic OWL." she countered. Just then, she glanced past them and saw a flash of pink. Her eyes widened and she nudged Ginny with her elbow.

Umbridge was waddling quickly toward them.

Ginny glanced at Anna and opened her mouth.

 _"WEASL-"_

Malfoy waved his wand and gags covered Ron, Ginny, and Anna's mouths. Then, the Slytherins rushed them. A large Slytherin guy Anna didn't know grabbed her wrists, slamming her backward and into a wall. She struggled, and saw the others doing the same. Umbridge waddled right past them giving them all a contemptuous glance as she hurried for her office. Anna looked for Luna and saw that one of the Slytherin girls had grabbed her.

Anna lifted her knee and managed to catch the guy's gut. He loosened his grip and she yanked her hand down to grab her wand from her school robes. But the guy grabbed her wrist, squeezing until Anna whimpered. He then yanked it from her and stuffed it into his own robes.

"Hey-"

Anna looked past the Slytherin guy's shoulder to see Neville attacking Warrington, who had been trying to subdue Ginny. With Warrington distracted by the new arrival, one of the large Slytherin girls grabbed Ginny and grappled with her for a few moments. Crabbe had to step in and help subdue Neville, who was putting up a surprising amount of fight.

After they'd all been restrained, the large Slytherin who had Anna dragged her by the hair down the corridor. She could hear the scuffle of the others being forced, as well, and knew they were all being dragged along. They went up the stairs and entered Umbridge's office. Anna lifted her head to see what was happening, even though she couldn't straighten her back because the guy was holding her hair closer to the height of his ribs.

Malfoy was leaning against the window, smirking and repeatedly tossing a wand in the air. Hermione was being pinned to the wall by Millicent. Harry was on the ground by Umbridge's desk, while the old toad herself glared down at him.

The other Slytherins followed them into the office, each holding someone captive. Anna caught a glimpse of poor Neville's red face, as he was being held in a stranglehold by Crabbe.

"Got 'em all." Warrington announced as he shoved Ron roughly into the room. " _That_ one," he pointed at Neville, "tried to stop me taking _her_ ," he then pointed at Ginny, who was trying to kick the massive Slytherin girl who was holding her, "so I brought him along, too."

"Good, good." Umbridge responded, watching Ginny struggle for a moment. "Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?"

Malfoy laughed loudly and Anna gritted her teeth, wishing she could hit one of them. She settled for kicking her heel into the shin of the Slytherin holding her. He cursed under his breath and yanked on her hair, making her head jerk painfully.

"So, Potter." Umbridge continued, looking back down at Harry. "You stationed lookouts around my office and you sent these buffoons," she nodded to Ron and Anna, "to tell me the poltergeist was wreaking havoc in the Transfiguration department when I knew perfectly well that he was busy smearing ink on the eyepieces of all the school telescopes, Mr. Filch having just informed me so." Anna closed her eyes, guilt surging through her. It had been _her_ job to find Peeves and she didn't.

"Clearly, is was very important for you to talk so somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid? I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall, I hear she is still too ill to talk to anyone…"

Several of the Slytherins laughed at that, and Anna felt pure rage flood her veins. She jerked in the Slytherin boy's hold, almost ripping hair from her own scalp as she threw her fists into him. He grunted and tried to subdue her again. Eventually, one of the Slytherin girls had to reach over and punch Anna in the stomach. The air was knocked out of her, buying the guy time to slam her into the wall next to Hermione, pinning her there.

During the struggle, Harry must've said something, probably refusing to tell Umbridge what he'd been doing, because by the time she started paying attention again, Malfoy was leaving the room to do something. But she hadn't been paying attention to hear what.

Anna glanced around, trying to catch one of the others' eyes, but they were also struggling a bit in their captors' hold. Ron's lip had started bleeding at some point, probably from being punched or something. Ginny was still trying to stomp on the Slytherin girl's feet while the taller girl held both Ginny's upper arms in a death grip. Neville was pulling at Crabbe's arm, trying to free his neck as his face continued to turn purple. Hermione was trying to throw Millicent off her, but it was pointless given the other girl's massive size. Luna was just standing there, gazing out the window.

Finally, after several minutes of silence apart from their struggles, footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. Anna turned her head in time to see Malfoy return, followed by Snape.

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" Snape asked, gazing indifferently around at all the struggling students.

"Ah, Professor Snape." Umbridge smiled widely at him. "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."

Anna's eyes went wide and shot toward Hermione, and then Harry in horror.

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter." Snape reminded her coolly through the greasy black hair that surrounded his face. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."

When Umbridge flushed, Anna snorted quietly to herself.

"You can make some more, can't you?" she asked in her usual high-pitched angry voice.

"Certainly." Snape drawled, his lip curling. "It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."

"A month?" Umbridge squawked. "A _month_? But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!"

"Really?" Snape actually looked a tiny bit interested in this bit of news as he turned to look at Harry. "Well, it doesn't surprise me. Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules." Snape turned and stared at Harry, who stared intensely back at him.

"I wish to interrogate him!" Umbridge repeated angrily, drawing Snape's attention back to her. "I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"

"I have already told you," Snape repeated smoothly, "that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter-and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did-I cannot help you. The only trouble is that most venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling…"

Snape looked back at Harry, and Anna thought the boy almost looked frantic as he returned Snape's stare.

"You are on probation!" Umbridge shrieked, and Snape looked back at her with his eyebrows slightly raised. "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!"

Anna narrowed her eyes slightly. Malfoy was speaking highly of Snape…then again, they were both probably old buddies when they were Death Eaters together…

Snape gave Umbridge a sarcastic bow and turned to leave when Harry suddenly shouted, "He's got Padfoot!" Anna's wide eyes shot to Harry. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"

Snape paused, his hand on the doorknob.

"Padfoot?" Umbridge repeated eagerly, glancing between Harry and Snape. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"

Snape turned to stare at Harry, his face unreadable. Anna held her breath, waiting for something to happen. She started to understand why Harry had said that. Sure, they hated Snape, but he was a member of the Order, the only one left in Hogwarts. He was the only help they had at the moment.

"I have no idea." Snape answered coolly. "Potter, when I want nonsense shouted at me I shall give you a Babbling Beverage. And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little, if Longbottom suffocates it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork, and I am afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if you ever apply for a job."

Snape closed the door with a snap and Anna felt numb. She could only hope that Snape was a good liar and understood Harry's cryptic message. But even if he did, would he bother helping? He hated Sirius.

"Very well." Umbridge's voice drew Anna's attention back to her in time to see the old toad pulling out her short wand. "Very well…I am left with no alternative…This is more than a matter of school discipline…This is an issue of Ministry security…Yes…yes…"

All the kids had stopped struggling and were watching her. Even the guy pinning Anna to the wall had turned to watch Umbridge over his shoulder curiously. She seemed to be talking to herself, or talking herself into something.

"You are forcing me, Potter." she continued, looking down at Harry and beating her wand against her open palm. "I do not want to, but sometimes circumstances justify the use…I am sure the Minister with understand I had no choice…"

Anna held her breath, her eyes fixed on the woman's pallid face.

"The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue." Umbridge revealed in a quiet voice.

"No!" Hermione shrieked, making Anna jump slightly. "That's illegal!"

But Umbridge took no notice of Hermione's interruption. She pointed her wand at Harry with an almost eager expression. Realizing what was about to happen, Anna thrashed in her captor's hold, trying to break free, but he just pinned her more firmly to the wall with his body.

"The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!" Hermione continued desperately.

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him." Umbridge dismissed. "He never knew I ordered dementors after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him, all the same…"

"It was _you_?" Harry gasped. " _You_ sent the dementors after me?"

"Somebody had to act." Umbridge breathed before taking a deep breath. _"Cruc-"_

"NO!" Hermione shouted in a cracked voice. "No-Harry-we'll have to tell her!"

"No way!" Harry yelled while Anna turned her head to stare at the curly-haired witch in horror.

"We'll have to, Harry, she'll force it out of you anyway, what's…what's the point…?"

And then, Hermione began crying weakly. Millicent jumped away from her, looking disgusted.

"Well, well, well!" Umbridge cried in delight. "Little Miss Question-All is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!"

"Er-my-nee-no!" Ron cried through his gag. Ginny was staring at Hermione as if she didn't know who she was anymore, and Neville was watching her despite not being able to breathe. But Anna, whose shoulder was mere inches from Hermione, noticed something. Despite the sounds of her crying, there was no physical sign of it. No red cheeks or nose and certainly no tears…

"I'm-I'm sorry everyone." Hermione sobbed. "But-I can't stand it-"

"That's right, that's right, girl!" Umbridge exclaimed, grabbing Hermione by the shoulders, shoving her into a chair, and leaning over her. "Now then…with whom was Potter communicating just now?"

"Well," Hermione gulped into her hands. "well, he was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore…"

Anna's eyes went wide, and she noticed the others had similar reactions. Ron had frozen, Ginny stopped trying to stomp on the Slytherin girl's feet, and even Luna looked surprised. Luckily, Umbridge and her little minions were too focused on Hermione to notice.

"Dumbledore?" Umbridge repeated eagerly. "You know where Dumbledore is, then?"

"Well,…no!" Hermione sobbed. "We've tried the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head-"

"Idiot girl, Dumbledore won't be sitting in a pub when the whole Ministry's looking for him!" Umbridge shouted, looking very disappointed and discouraged.

"But-but we needed to tell him something important!" wailed Hermione, her hands more firmly covering her face and the lack of tears.

"Yes?" Umbridge urged, looking eager again. "What was it you wanted to tell him?"

"We…we wanted to tell him it's ready!"

"What's ready?" Umbridge demanded, grabbing Hermione's shoulders and shaking her.

"The…the weapon!" Hermione finally answered.

"Weapon? Weapon?!" Umbridge repeated, her eyes practically bugging out of her head. "You have been developing some method of resistance? A weapon you could use against the Ministry? On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?"

"Y-y-yes." Hermione gasped. "But he had to leave before it was finished and now we've finished it for him, and we can't find him to tell him!"

"What kind of weapon is it?" Umbridge demanded harshly, her sausage-like fingers digging into Hermione's shoulders.

"We don't r-really understand it." Hermione sniffled. "We j-j-just did what Professor Dumbledore told us t-to do…"

Umbridge stood up straight again, looking overjoyed.

"Lead me to the weapon." she ordered.

"I'm not showing… _them_." Hermione argued shrilly, looking around at all the Slytherins from between her fingers.

"It is not for you to set conditions." Umbridge informed her harshly.

"Fine," said Hermione, sobbing into her hands again, "fine…let them see it, I hope they use it on you! In fact, I wish you'd invite loads and loads of people to come and see! Th-that would serve you right-oh, I'd love it if the whole school knew where it was, and how to u-use it, and then if you annoy any of them they'll be able to sort you out!"

Anna fought down a grin when Umbridge instantly glanced suspiciously around at her precious Inquisitorial Squad. Malfoy in particular was too slow to hide the look of greed on his face. It was clear to Anna what Hermione was doing, at least somewhat. If Umbridge didn't trust her Inquisitorial Squad, she wouldn't take them with her.

Umbridge thought over Hermione's words for a long moment before speaking in a creepy voice that she probably thought sounded motherly, "Alright, dear, let's make it just you and me…and we'll take Potter, too, shall we? Get up, now-"

"Professor," Malfoy eagerly spoke up, "Professor Umbridge, I think some of the squad should come with you to look after-"

"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?" Umbridge asked sharply. "In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these," she gestured to Anna, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna, "escape."

"Alright." Malfoy sulked.

"And you two can go ahead of me and show me the way." Umbridge continued, pointing at Harry and Hermione with her wand. "Lead on…"

Anna's head turned, briefly catching Hermione's eye as the two fifth years lead the Headmistress from the office. Hermione's expression didn't give anything away, and soon, the door closed behind Umbridge with a click, leaving a brief moment of silence in the office.

Anna's eyes swept the room again, hearing the occasional scuffle as Ginny and Ron continued to struggle with their captors. Despite Snape's warning, Crabbe hadn't loosened his hold on Neville, whose face was still turning purple.

"This bites, doesn't it, Malfoy?" Warrington complained. "One of us should've gone with."

"Shut up, Warrington." Malfoy snapped, looking particularly grumpy.

Anna's eyes moved back to the guy pinning her to the wall to find him smirking at her. She grimaced and pressed her head back into the wall.

"Would you kindly move your face and stench away from me?" she asked him rudely. "Your offending my eyes and nose."

His eyes narrowed at her, smirk falling into a frown. "What's the matter, Black? Not used to what a real man smells like with all the time you spend with your precious weasels?"

She glared at him. "At least they know how to shower."

Instead of glaring more harshly, he smirked again and leaned in closer, his nose inches from hers and hot breath washing the stench of onions and smelly eggs over her face. "Maybe I should take a page out of Flint's book." he suggested lowly. Then, with one forearm still braced across her collarbone, his other hand trailed up her side.

Anna's face flushed, both from embarrassment and anger. She threw her hands up and slammed one fist into the side of the guy's face. He staggered back but ran back at her, one hand going around her throat. She continued slamming her fists into his chest and stomach, but his hand tightened around her throat, cutting off her airways and making her gasp for breath.

Her punches grew a bit weaker until she was more scratching at him. Then, she felt something bump her hand. A familiar, smooth stick of wood.

Still gasping for breath, Anna continued clawing and hitting at the guy, sneakily nabbing her wand from his robes and slipping it up her sleeve. By that point, black spots started dotting her vision and she went slightly limp, hoping he'd let up.

He did just that when she slumped back against the wall, letting up on her throat. She leaned there, gasping for breath for a few moments while her eyes darted around the room, contemplating her next move.

Finally, gripping her wand tightly inside her sleeve, she looked up slightly at the guy still pinning her to the wall.

" _Stupify_!" she exclaimed, aiming her wand at his chest. While his body went stiff and fell back, she turned and waved her wand around the room. " _Accio wands_!"

Several wands flew at her from within people's pockets and robes, but she couldn't possibly catch them all. Seeing what she was doing, the others put up more of a fight. Ginny managed to throw her elbow back into the Slytherin girl's face, lunging across the room for her own wand. Anna tossed Ron's wand at him and he stunned the guy who'd been holding him, as well as a couple of the others, including Crabbe, which caused Neville to be released.

Anna stunned a couple of the others while Neville shot an Impediment Jinx at Warrington, who'd been going to attack Anna. Then, to top it all off, Ginny shot a perfect Bat-Bogey Hex at Malfoy, which caused his bogeys to turn into bats, crawl out his nose, and attack his face.

"Guys, we gotta go. Whose wand is whose?" Anna asked, searching through the pile of wands that had landed at her feet.

Ron hurried over and searched through them. "Here's Harry's and Hermione's." he said, grabbing two wands and stuffing them in his pocket.

"Now how are we going to find Harry and Hermione?" Neville asked as the group hurried from the office, running down the stairs.

"They've gone into the forest." Luna answered simply. "I saw them out the window."

"Well, we'll start there, I guess." Anna decided with a shrug. "Does anyone know if Harry got ahold of my dad in the fire before Umbridge showed up?"

Several people answered 'no', and Anna felt even more worried.

They hurried out of the castle and across the ground to the edge of the forest.

"Do we have to go into the forest?" Neville asked nervously.

"We have no way of knowing what's going on in there." Ginny pointed out. "Umbridge might be onto them. She could use the Cruciatus Curse on them, and they don't have their wands to defend themselves."

"How're we going to find them?" Ron asked, squinting to try and see into the dark, eerie forest.

"Well,…we can start by following that path there and see what we find." Anna suggested.

So, the group started making their way into the forest. It wasn't long before they found the telltale signs of someone big and clumsy fighting their way through the shrubbery a short while before they did. So, they followed the trail off the path. Within about ten minutes or so they heard the quiet, distant sound of voices.

"…can't do anything without wands." a familiar voice said. "Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?"

"Yeah, we were just wondering that." Ron called, pushing aside a low-hanging branch and leading the others into a small gap in the trees. Harry and Hermione stood close together, looking relieved to see the group.

"So," Ron said, handing Harry his wand back, "had any ideas?"

"How did you get away?" Harry asked instead, sounding amazed.

"Couple of Stunners, a Disarming Charm, Neville brought off a really nice little Impediment Jinx." Ron listed, handing Hermione her wand. "But Ginny was best, she got Malfoy-Bat-Bogey Hex-it was superb, his whole face was covered in the great flapping things. Anyway, we saw you heading into the forest out of the window and followed. What've you done with Umbridge?"

"She got carried away." Harry answered. "By a herd of centaurs."

"And they left you behind?" Ginny asked in astonishment. Anna's eyes went wide, as well.

"No, they got chased off by Grawp." Harry answered.

"Who's Grawp?" Luna and Anna asked curiously.

"Hagrid's little brother." Ron answered quickly. "Anyway, never mind that now." he continued before Anna could demand answers about Hagrid having a brother and nobody told her. "Harry, what did you find out in the fire? Has You-Know-Who got Sirius or-?"

"Yes," Harry answered instantly. "and I'm sure Sirius is still alive, but I can't see how we're going to get there to help him."

Everyone glanced quietly among themselves, trying to think of any ideas.

"Well, we'll have to fly, won't we?" Luna suggested as if it were obvious.

"Okay," Harry said in an irritated voice as he rounded on her, "first of all, 'we' aren't doing anything if you're including yourself in that, and second of all, Ron and Anna are the only ones with a broomstick that isn't being guarded by a security troll, so-"

"I've got a broom!" Ginny argued hotly.

"Yeah, but you're not coming." Ron pointed out angrily.

"Excuse me, but I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!" Ginny pointed out angrily, her jaw set in determination. Her stance and expression made her resemblance to Fred and George even more pronounced than usual.

"You're too-" Harry started.

"I'm three years older than you were when you fought You-Know-Who over the Sorcerer's Stone," she said fiercely, "and it's because of me Malfoy's stuck back in Umbridge's office with giant flying bogeys attacking him-"

"Yeah, but-"

"We were all in the D.A. together." Neville spoke up quietly. "It was all supposed to be about fighting You-Know-Who, wasn't it? And this is the first chance we've had to do something real-or was that all just a game or something?"

"No-of course it wasn't-"

"Then we should come too." Neville decided simply. "We want to help."

As Harry met Ron's eyes doubtfully, Anna's patience snapped. "Look, they want to come, and we could use the numbers if we're going to face Voldemort. So can we get a move on?"

"It doesn't matter." Harry argued. "We still don't have a way for all of us to get there."

"I thought we'd settled that?" said Luna. "We're flying!"

"Look, you might be able to fly without a broomstick," Ron spoke angrily, "but the rest of us-"

"There are other ways to fly without a broomstick." Luna pointed out, gazing dreamily into the forest as if seeing something. Anna narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. The first thing to pop into her mind was the hippogriffs, but their paddock was a good walking distance away.

"Like the hippogriffs?" Anna asked, looking down slightly at Luna.

"I was thinking more of _them_." Luna stated, still staring off into the distance. "And Hagrid said they're very good at finding whatever places their riders are looking for."

Harry spun around and must've seen something between two trees that the others couldn't see.

"Yes!" he whispered eagerly, moving toward a pair of trees. He suddenly reached his hand out and touched something the others couldn't see. That's when Anna realized what they were talking about.

Thestrals.

"Is it those mad horse things?" Ron asked uncertainly, looking near where Harry was supposedly petting a thestral. "Those ones you can't see unless you've watched someone snuff it?"

"Yeah." Harry answered

"How many are there?" Anna asked, moving forward slowly so she didn't spook the creatures she couldn't see.

"Just two."

"Well, we'll need four." Hermione pointed out, looking nervous.

"Five, Hermione." Ginny pointed out, scowling.

"I think there are seven of us, actually." Luna pointed out calmly, counting everyone.

"Don't be stupid, we can't all go!" Harry argued angrily. "Look, you three-" he pointed at Neville, Ginny, and Luna- "you're not involved in this, you're not-"

They instantly burst into loud protests. Harry clutched his forehead in pain.

"Okay, fine, it's your choice." He agreed curtly. "But unless we can find more thestrals you're not going to be able-"

"Oh, more of them will come." Ginny said confidently, staring off into a random direction as if she could actually see the creatures.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because in case you hadn't noticed, you and Hermione are both covered in blood," she explained coolly, "and we know Hagrid lures thestrals with raw meat, so that's probably why these two turned up in the first place…"

"She has a point." Anna agreed.

"Okay then." Harry agreed, looking down at his bloody sleeve. "Ron and I will take these two and go ahead, and Hermione can stay here with you four and she'll attract more thestrals-"

"I'm not staying behind!" Hermione argued.

"There's no need." Luna explained calmly, smiling into the forest. "Look, here come more now…You two must really smell…"

Everyone instinctively searched the forest, but obviously most of them couldn't see the creatures, but Luna must have been right because Harry gave in.

"Alright," he said angrily, "pick one and get on, then."

Harry hurried over to something and climbed on, looking as if he were sitting on air. Neville struggled a bit, heaving himself onto something seemingly solid, even though Anna could see nothing there. And Luna climbed on with ease, sitting sidesaddle and adjusting her robes.

Anna soon realized she, like Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, were standing motionless and openmouthed.

"What?" Harry asked when they didn't move.

"How're we supposed to get on?" Ron asked weakly. "When we can't see the things?"

"Oh, it's easy." Luna told them, sliding off her invisible steed and approaching the other four. "Come here…"

She pulled each of them up to a thestral and managed to help all of them onto the backs of the creatures one at a time.

Anna tried to force down her nerves, her hands twining in what felt like silky, wiry hair, even though she couldn't see it. She almost wished she could see the creature, but that would mean she'd seen someone die. And she'd rather not, given what they were flying into. So, she settled for creating an image of the creature in her minds eye from when they'd studied thestrals in class. There'd been a sketch in their textbook.

"We all ready, then?" Harry called after a few moments.

Everyone nodded and Anna instinctively tightened her legs around the animal's flanks.

"Okay…" he then looked down at the animal and said uncertainly, "Ministry of Magic, visitors' entrance, London, then. Er…if you know…where to go…"

There was a moment of still silence. Then, with a burst of wind that brushed Anna's sides, she flew into the air. She felt weightless for a split second, then she leaned down over the thestral's back, tightening her grip on it's mane as it flew into the sky. Her legs clenched around it's flanks to keep from sliding backward off it's back.

Tree branches whipped Anna's face and arms as they burst through the branches of the forest trees above. They soared west, over the castle and straight toward the setting sun. Over the wind whistling in her ears, Anna could almost swear she could hear the gentle beating of the thestral's wings. Bending low over the horse-like creature's neck to block the stinging wind, Anna glanced around briefly.

Harry was in the lead, Ron not far behind him. Hermione and Ginny were on either side of Anna, and Luna and Neville were bringing up the rear. With her neck still turned to look over her shoulder, Anna watched as Hogwarts, and then Hogsmeade, disappeared from sight and they flew over the mountains and the gullies below.


	16. Family reunion

It was hard to tell how much time passed, and Anna's butt, arms, and legs went numb around the time the sun disappeared from view, leaving the sky dark and sprinkled with stars. She focused on her aching muscles and numb derrière to keep her mind off the worry of what her father was now going through. He couldn't be dead. She refused to believe he could die. She couldn't lose her father after everything they'd been through.

Her thoughts were abruptly cut off when the thestral's invisible head suddenly pointed downward. Anna slid forward a couple inches and gasped, clenching her arms and legs tight around the animal's body. She heard Hermione shriek on one side of her.

The orange lights sprinkling the ground grew larger and rounder, less blurry as they flew through the clouds and mist. Finally, the tops of buildings began to form as they hurtled toward the pavement. Anna couldn't help tensing and closing her eyes, preparing herself for a hard landing. But the thestral touched ground as lightly as a feather, not even making a sound.

Harry was the first to land, and immediately slid to the ground. Ron then rolled off his invisible steed and landed on the pavement. Anna landed near them, Hermione and Ginny on either side and the three girls carefully slid onto the ground. Anna sighed in relief to be back on the ground, keeping one hand on the thestral's flank to steady herself on her numb legs.

Neville shakily slid to the ground when he landed, and Luna hopped down smoothly as if she did this everyday.

"Where do we go from here?" Luna asked curiously.

"Over here." Harry answered. He gave his thestral a quick pat, and Anna did the same with hers before following. Harry then hurried over to a battered telephone box and opened the door. "Come _on_!" he urged when they hesitated. Anna pushed through the others and stepped inside, having been inside it once before. Ron and Ginny followed, then Hermione, Neville, and Luna squished themselves in behind them. Harry glanced around toward where they'd left the thestrals before squeezing his way inside with them.

Harry gave them instructions for Ron to dial a number into the phone, then a woman's voice told them to state their name and business. Harry did just that, and then half a dozen badges slid out of the small shoot that was normally for coins. Hermione grabbed them and passed them around. When Anna's was in her hand, she looked down at it.

ANNABELLE BLACK

Rescue Mission

The woman's voice continued to give them instructions, which was clearly making Harry impatient. Anna, herself, didn't remember this process being so slow when she came here for her trial. Of course, she hadn't been in a hurry that time.

Finally, the floor of the phone booth shuddered and they started to descend into the ground. It was very dark in the box for a few moments. When they reached the bottom, a soft golden light touched their feet and rose up. Anna cranned her neck around, trying to see through the windows if there was anyone at the Atrium, but everything was completely empty. The light in the room was dim, and there were no fires burning in the fireplaces around the room.

Finally, the door to the telephone box burst open and they all practically fell out of it. Anna found herself even more on edge with the lack of sound apart from the rushing of the nearby fountain.

"Come on." Harry whispered. Then, with Harry in the lead, they ran down the hall, past the fountain, and toward a desk.

"This is weird." Anna whispered to Hermione as they ran. "There should be some form of security around. It shouldn't be this easy."

Hermione nodded, seeming to think the same thing.

They hurried towards the lifts and Harry pressed the nearest down button. A lift quickly clattered into sight, the golden grilles sliding open with a loud clang. They hurried inside and Harry jabbed the number nine button, causing the doors to bang shut and the lift began to descend.

The loud rattling of the lifts set Anna on edge, and she tightened her grip on her wand. It echoed loudly throughout the building and she felt sure that anyone in the building could hear their approach.

When the lift came to a halt, the grilles slid open and they all stepped out into the corridor. The only movement in the area was the torches flickering from the burst of air from the lift.

Harry stared at a plain black door for a moment.

"Let's go." he finally whispered, leading the way down the corridor toward it.

"Okay, listen." Harry said, abruptly stopping again several feet away from the door. "Maybe…maybe a couple of people should stay here as a-as a lookout, and-"

"And how're we going to let you know something's coming?" Ginny asked, eyebrows raised, "You could be miles away."

"We're wasting time, Harry." Anna snapped. "We need to get a move on. Quit stalling."

Harry glared at her for a moment before turning back to the door. Before he even touched it, it swung open and he stepped over the threshold with the others on his heels. Inside, they found themselves standing in a large, circular room. Everything, including the floor and ceiling, was black. Identical black doors stood at intervals all around the room, mingled with candles with blue flames. Anna was almost afraid to move forward because the flickering of the blue flames reflected off the black floor, making it look like deep, bottomless water.

"Someone shut the door." Harry ordered.

Neville did as ordered. The room was instantly thrown into darkness without the corridor's light. Harry appeared to be deciding what to do next when there was a loud rumbling sound and the candles on the wall began to move sideways. The wall was rotating. Anna was almost disoriented, but the floor didn't move at all.

The blue flames of the candles blurred slightly into a single line around the room as the wall sped up before, suddenly, it stopped again and everything was once again still.

Anna shook her head, putting a hand to her forehead to make it stop spinning.

"What was that about?" Ron asked fearfully.

"I think it was to stop us knowing which door we came in from." Ginny answered in a whisper.

Anna instantly looked over her shoulder from where they'd come, but she realized the door behind them most likely wasn't the same one they came in from.

"How're we going to get back out?" Neville asked uncomfortably.

"Well, that doesn't matter now." Harry reminded them tensely. "We won't need to get out till we've found Sirius-"

"Don't go calling for him, though!" Hermione stated urgently.

"Where do we go, then, Harry?" Ron asked.

"I don't-" Harry stopped and swallowed. "In the dreams I went through the door at the end of the corridor from the lifts into a dark room-that's this one-and then I went through another door into a room that kind of…glitters. We should try a few doors." he decided quickly. "I'll know the right way when I see it. C'mon."

He walked straight to the door currently facing them, the others following him packed close together. With his wand raised, he pushed the door open with his left hand. It swung open effortlessly

This room seemed brighter due to the lamps hanging low on the golden chains hung from the ceiling. The room was also pretty empty apart from a few desks and a large glass tank, big enough for all of them to swim in, that had several pearly white objects drifting in the dark green water.

"What're those things?" Ron asked in a low whisper.

"Dunno." Harry answered.

"Are they fish?" Ginny asked.

"Aquavirius maggots!" Luna said excitedly. "Dad said the Ministry were breeding-"

"No." Hermione interrupted in a strange voice. Anna watched nervously as Hermione stepped into the room toward the tank. "They're brains."

 _"Brains?"_

"Yes…I wonder what they're doing with them?"

Harry joined her at the tank, but the others held back. Anna, personally, didn't want to get any closer to these random brains than she had to.

"Let's get out of here." Harry decided. "This isn't right, we need to try another door-"

"There are doors here too." Ron spoke up, pointing at the doors around the room.

"In my dream I went through that dark room into the second one. I think we should go back and try from there." Harry decided.

So they backed into the dark, circular room.

"Wait!" Hermione exclaimed before Luna could shut the door, causing Anna to jump. _"Flagrate!"_

Hermione drew a fiery X with her wand, which appeared on the door. Then, when the door shut, the room once again began to spin. When everything was still again, Hermione's X was still on the door, marking which one they'd tried.

"Good thinking." Harry praised her. "Okay, let's try this one-"

The next room was larger and contained a large, stone pit. They appeared to be standing at the top of tier of several stone benches running around the walls, descending like large steps. In the very center at the bottom stood a raised stone dais, upon which stood a stone arch. The archway looked so old and cracked it was amazing that it was still intact. The archway was also hung with a tattered black veil, which fluttered slightly despite the stillness in the air.

Despite this obviously not being the room they were looking for, Harry almost refused to leave, him and Luna claiming they could hear whispered voices as if people were hiding _inside_ the black veil. Eventually, Anna and Hermione were able to drag Harry away by reminding him what they were there for.

So, they all marched back to the circular room they started in. Hermione drew another fiery X on the door to the room with the arch before closing it. The room spun once again. When it stopped spinning again, Harry approached a random door and pushed on it. But nothing happened.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"It's…locked…" Harry answered, throwing his weight into the door. It still didn't budge.

"This is it, then, isn't it?" Ron guessed excitedly, helping Harry in trying to shove the door open. "Bound to be!"

"Get out of the way!" Hermione told them sharply. She pointed her wand at the door and said, " _Alohomora_!"

Nothing happened. There was no click of a lock, or a door swinging open. Nothing.

"Try the knife." Anna told Harry, remembering how her father's knife could unlock any lock. Harry nodded quickly, pulling the knife from his robe pocket. He slid it into the crack between the door and the doorway. Anna held her breath, watching intensely as he ran the blade up and down the door, withdrew it, and threw his shoulder into the door again.

However, the door remained firmly shut. And equally unfortunate, the blade of the knife was now melted.

"Right, we're leaving that room." Hermione decided.

"But what if that's the one?" Ron demanded, looking curiously at the door.

"It can't be. Harry could get through all the doors in his dream." Hermione pointed out, marking the door with another fiery X. Anna had to admit she had a point.

Harry slid the now-useless knife handle into his pocket as the wall began spinning again. When the walls still again, Harry hurried to the next door and pushed it open.

 _"This is it!"_

Anna bolted after him and peaked inside the open door. The first thing she saw was beautiful, sparkling light. When her eyes grew accustomed to the sudden change of lighting, she saw clocks everywhere, of every size, shape, and type. Some were hanging in the spaces between the bookcases, some standing on desks. At the far end stood the source of the bright light, a towering, crystal bell jar.

"This way!" Harry exclaimed, hurrying into the room. He lead them forward down the narrow space between the rows of desks. He was heading for the crystal bell jar.

"Oh, _look_!" Ginny exclaimed as they drew nearer, pointing at the very center of the bell jar.

Drifting as if on an invisible current inside the jar was a tiny, bright egg. As it rose in the jar, it cracked open and a hummingbird popped out, which was lifted to the very top of the jar. But as it fell on the invisible draft, its feathers became damp and heavy again, and by the time it returned to the bottom of the jar, it was once more in its egg.

"Keep going!" Harry called sharply, hurrying past it.

"You dawdled enough by that old arch!" Ginny retorted crossly, but she followed him and the rest of the group to a lonely door past the jar

"This is it." Harry declared quietly as he reached the door. "It's through here-"

Everyone tensed and tightened their grips on their wands. Anna took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Harry glanced around at them all before pushing the door open.

Inside was a large, high-ceilinged room. The only things they could see in every direction in the room were towering shelves full of small, dusty, glass orbs. The fire on all the torches was blue, and the room was cold.

Harry crept forward and looked between two shelves. There was no sound in the room, and it was setting Anna even more on edge.

"You said it was row ninety-seven." Hermione reminded him in a low whisper.

"Yeah." Harry whispered, his head tilting to look up. Anna did the same, looking up near the top of the nearest shelf. Under a blue-flamed candle was a silver number FIFTY-THREE.

"We need to go right, I think." Hermione whispered, squinting at the row to the right. "Yes…that's fifty-four…"

"Keep your wands out." Harry reminded them softly.

They slowly began their trek down the wall to their right, keeping an eye out behind them as they walked. As the rows' numbers grew, Anna couldn't help the fear creeping up her chest. Surely if her father was here, they'd hear something, right? If he was being tortured, they'd be hearing his screams of pain. Unless…Unless he was already dead.

' _No!_ ' Anna thought to herself, giving her head a quick shake. He can't be dead. Not after everything that they'd been through. He had to be alive.

"Ninety-seven!" Hermione whispered, jerking Anna out of her thoughts.

They gathered around at the end of the row, staring down the alley beside it. But there was no one there.

"He's right down at the end." Harry told them, his voice slightly croaky. "You can't see properly from here…"

Anna glanced at him as he started forward. She wasn't sure what to think. On the one hand, she didn't want her dad to be here, because she didn't want him to be tortured and possibly killed. But if he wasn't, then why would Harry have seen that dream? Why would they be here…?

"He should be near here." Harry whispered as they walked. "Anywhere here…really close…"

"Harry?" Hermione asked uncertainly.

"Somewhere about…here…" he said, ignoring Hermione as they reached the end of the row.

But there was no one there.

Anna wasn't sure what to feel. Part of her was relieved, but she also felt a sense of dread and fear. And as if this whole trip was anticlimactic.

Harry was whispering to himself, looking back and forth down the alleys on either side of the one they'd walked down.

"Harry?" Hermione asked again.

"What?" he snapped impatiently.

"I…I don't think Sirius is here."

They were all silent as they watched Harry, but he was refusing to look at any of them. Instead, he ran up the space at the end of the rows, staring down each row he passed. He then ran back the other way, passing the others as he searched down the other rows.

"Harry?" Ron called after a moment.

"What?"

"Have you seen this?"

Anna spun around while Harry eagerly returned to them. Ron was staring at one of the dusty orbs on the shelf.

"What?" Harry asked glumly, clearly disappointed it wasn't something to do with Sirius. Anna stepped closer to look at the orb over Ron's shoulder.

"It's-it's got your name on it." Ron told him. Sure enough, on a yellowish label on the shelf just below a particular dusty orb, were the words:

S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D.

Dark Lord

And (?) Harry Potter

"What?" Anna breathed, her eyes scanning the words over and over. Harry and Ron were also staring at it.

"What is it?" Ron asked nervously. "What's your name doing here?" He then glanced down the shelf at the other labels. "None of the rest of us are here…"

"Harry, I don't think you should touch it." Hermione spoke sharply as Harry started to reach for the glass orb.

"Why not?" he asked. "It's something to do with me, isn't it?"

"Don't, Harry." Neville spoke up suddenly. Anna turned to look at the other boy to see his face was shining with sweat and he looked like he may have a heart attack if exposed to anymore stress.

"It's got my name on it." Harry pointed out.

"But you don't know what it is." Anna pointed out hurriedly. "It could be cursed, or a trap or something."

But Harry didn't listen. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around the dusty glass surface. He slowly lifted it down from the shelf and stared at it.

Anna had almost expected something dramatic to happen. Like an explosion or someone showing up, anything. But nothing. Anna moved closer to Harry, as did the others. They all stared down at the orb as Harry brushed off the dust.

And then, a hauntingly familiar voice spoke from behind them. "Very good, Potter. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."

Anna had spun around the second the voice spoke, her wand already drawn and pointed at the newcomer. She then realized shadowy figures were stepping out of the darkness from all sides, cutting off any escape. About a dozen lit wand tips were pointed right at the kids' chests. Ginny gasped and stepped closer to Anna's side.

"To me, Potter." Lucius Malfoy repeated in his drawling voice, holding his hand out to Harry with the palm up.

Anna's eyes mainly remained fixed on Malfoy, but she also occasionally glanced around at the multiple other Death Eaters surrounding them.

"To me." Malfoy repeated when Harry didn't move.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry demanded bravely.

Several Death Eaters laughed and Anna's heart flew to her throat. Then, a harsh, cynical, female voice spoke triumphantly from in the midst of the shadowy figures, "The Dark Lord always knows!"

"Always." Malfoy repeated softly, smiling arrogantly at the group of kids. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."

' _Prophecy?_ ' Anna repeated in her mind, forcing herself not to glance at the glass ball still in Harry's hand.

"I want to know where Sirius is!" Harry insisted impatiently.

" _'I want to know where Sirius is!_ '" the same woman as before mocked. Anna snapped her attention to her left, where the Death Eaters had stepped closer, leaving only a few feet of space between them and the kids.

"You've got him." Harry insisted, more to himself. "He's here. I know he is."

But Anna knew he wasn't. They had been tricked, and they all fell for it. Her wand hand was trembling as she fought down panic. She'd come here to make sure her father would be okay, that he wouldn't die. But she got the feeling she may be the one to die now. Her, Harry, and the others.

"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo." the same woman mocked in a baby voice that both annoyed and terrified Anna. She searched the shadowed figures, trying to see the individual faces and see if she could recognize any of them. But they were all covered by their Death Eater masks.

"Don't do anything." Harry muttered. "Not yet-"

The same woman let out a screeching cackle.

"You hear him? _You hear him?_ Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"

"Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix." Malfoy told the woman in the same soft voice he used earlier. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. _Now give me the prophecy, Potter._ "

Anna swallowed thickly while Harry once again insisted he knew Sirius was here. Anna, however, had recognized the name Malfoy stated. Bellatrix. Most likely Bellatrix Lestrange, her father's escaped Death Eater cousin. She almost would have preferred seeing Voldemort in the flesh to Bellatrix Lestrange.

 _"I know you've got him!"_

Nearly all the Death Eaters laughed at Harry's shout, but Bellatrix laughed even louder then all of them combined.

"It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter." Malfoy told him. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."

"Go on, then." Harry dared, raising his wand to point it at Malfoy. Anna and the others did the same, pointing their wands around at the various Death Eaters. Anna ran through which spells she thought would be best to fight her way out of this.

But surprisingly, none of the Death Eaters raised their wands or moved to attack.

"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt." Malfoy said instead.

Harry laughed, and Anna refrained from flat out asking what they wanted with this 'prophecy'.

"Yeah, right! I give you this-prophecy, is it? And you'll just let us skip off home, will you?"

Suddenly, Bellatrix raised her wand, " _Accio Proph-"_

" _Protego!"_ Harry countered instantly, managing to keep a firm grip on the orb.

"Oh, he knows how to play, little bitty baby Potter." she mocked, and Anna caught sight of her crazy eyes staring through the slits of her hood. "Very well, then-"

"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Malfoy roared at her. "If you smash it-!"

Anna finally tore her eyes from the Death Eaters and looked curiously over at the small glass orb in Harry's hand. What could be so important that the Death Eaters wouldn't even risk attacking them?

Movement made Anna snap her head back around to see that Bellatrix had stepped forward, standing in front of her fellow Death Eaters. She pulled off her hood, revealing what Azkaban had done to her. Her face was gaunt, her cheekbones jutting out. But her eyes were alive with a wild insanity.

"You need more persuasion?" she guessed, breathing heavily. "Very well-take the smallest one." she ordered the Death Eater at her side. "Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it."

"No!" Anna shouted before she could stop herself. The others had closed in around Ginny on instinct at the threat, but Anna found herself stepping directly in front of the youngest Weasley, her wand pointed directly at Bellatrix's chest. Harry also stepped in front of Ginny, standing next to Anna with the prophecy clutched to his chest.

"Well, well, well." Malfoy smirked softly, glancing from Harry to Anna. "Little Annabelle Black. This must be a nice family reunion for you. You remember Annabelle, don't you Bellatrix?" he asked teasingly, glancing at Bellatrix before looking back down at Anna. "The little daughter of your cousin and that filthy half-blood?" He turned to Anna again, smirking coldly. "It's really too bad. I'm sure you wish Marcus Flint was here, don't you?"

Anna met his eyes coldly, jutting her chin out bravely. "Flint doesn't scare me, and neither do you. I know you did something to rig my trial against him."

"Oh really?" Malfoy smirked coldly, his confidence and the look in his gray eyes giving it away. He didn't even try to deny it. "And how are you going to prove it?"

Anna faltered for a moment. "I'll figure it out." she stated firmly.

"Oh, she's Sirius's daughter alright." Bellatrix cackled, eyeing Anna like she was a piece of meat. "That arrogant attitude gives it away. And if you think you're so brave, how about I give you a taste of the real world?"

"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us." Harry told Bellatrix before she could do anything, referring to the glass orb. "I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you come back without it, will he?"

Bellatrix didn't answer, or move. She merely stared at Harry, the very tip of her tongue poking out to wet her thin lips.

"So," Harry continued, "what kind of prophecy are we talking about, anyway?"

Anna kept her eyes fixed on Bellatrix, deciding she was the biggest threat. Malfoy may think he's in charge, but it was clear who the real leader of this group was, aside of Voldemort. She also focused on Bellatrix to keep herself from panicking. She could hear someone behind her breathing heavily, as if they were also trying not to panic.

"What kind of prophecy?" Bellatrix repeated, her grin falling. "You jest, Harry Potter."

"Nope, not jesting." Harry disagreed simply. "How come Voldemort wants it?"

Most of the Death Eaters hissed.

"You dare speak his name?" Bellatrix whispered, as if Harry had uttered something obscenely blasphemous.

"Yeah." Harry answered easily, and Anna wondered if his plan was to rile them up. "Yeah, I've got no problem saying Vol-"

"Shut your mouth!" Bellatrix shrieked, making Anna jump and tighten her grip on her wand, still pointed at the older witch. "You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood's tongue, you dare-"

"Did you know he's a half-blood, too?" Harry cut her off. Hermione gave a low moan behind them, and Anna silently agreed. "Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch, but his dad was a Muggle-or has he been telling you lot he's pureblood?"

" _STUPEF_ -"

" _NO!"_

Red light shot from Bellatrix's wand, but Malfoy deflected it. His spell caused hers to blast a shelf less then a foot to Anna's left, causing several of the glass orbs to shatter.

In the chaos, Anna's eyes were torn from the quarreling Death Eaters to see two ghost-like figures emerge from the broken orbs, speaking in low voices that were next-to-impossible to hear over the yelling.

Malfoy continued to yell at Bellatrix, while she stuttered in her rage. Harry continued to talk to them, though Anna ignored a lot of the words. Her attention was pulled to a sharp intake of breath just behind her.

"What?" Hermione whispered.

"Dumbledore never told you that the reason you bear that scar was hidden in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries?" Malfoy asked.

"I-what?" Harry paused, and Anna had a feeling his interest was now more in the conversation than whatever he'd been doing a moment ago. "What about my scar?"

" _What?"_ Hermione whispered again.

"Can this be?" Malfoy crowed, sounding delighted in a way that couldn't be good, and the Death Eaters were laughing again.

Under the noise of their laughter, Anna heard Harry whisper, "Smash shelves-"

"Dumbledore never told you?" Malfoy repeated, unaware of the plan formulating before him. "Well, this explains why you didn't come earlier, Potter, the Dark Lord wondered why-"

"when I say go-"

"you didn't come running when he showed you the place where it was hidden in your dreams. He thought natural curiosity would make you want to hear the exact wording…"

"Did he?" Harry said. Anna was vaguely aware of Hermione spreading his plans to the others. Anna, instead of doing the same, moved her head slightly to block the view of the others behind her. "So he wanted me to come and get it, did he? Why?"

" _Why?"_ Malfoy repeated in disbelief. "Because the only people who are permitted to retrieve a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, Potter, are those about whom it was made, as the Dark Lord discovered when he attempted to use others to steal it for him."

"And why did he want to steal a prophecy about me?"

"About both of you, Potter, about both of you…Haven't you ever wondered why the Dark Lord tried to kill you as a baby?"

Anna chanced a glance at Harry to find him staring back at Malfoy's gray eyes. She then glanced down at the small glass ball, hoping Harry wasn't getting distracted. Of course, anyone would be. It sounded like that small orb held all the answers Harry ever wanted. Why Voldemort went after him, killing his parents in an attempt to kill him.

"Someone made a prophecy about Voldemort and me?" he asked quietly, still staring at Malfoy. Anna saw his fingers tighten around the glass ball before she dragged her eyes back up to stare at the Death Eaters. "And he's made me come and get it for him? Why couldn't he come and get it himself?"

"Get it himself?" Bellatrix repeated in a shrieking, insane laugh. "The Dark Lord, walk into the Ministry of Magic, when they are so sweetly ignoring his return? The Dark Lord, reveal himself to the Aurors?"

"So he's got you doing his dirty work for him has he?" Harry asked. "Like he tried to get Sturgis to steal it-and Bode?"

"Very good, Potter, very good…" Malfoy commended him slowly. "But the Dark Lord knows you are not unintell-"

"NOW!" Harry yelled.

Anna raised her wand to the shelves above the Death Eaters' heads and screamed, " _REDUCTO_!" The others did the same in five different directions and shelves all around them exploded when the spells hit their targets. Several shelves swayed under the impact, causing dozens of glass balls to fall to the ground and shatter, ghost-like figures erupting from them and floating away, their voices echoing and blending together.

"RUN!" Harry yelled. Anna instinctively reached behind her and grabbed Ginny's wrist and ran, her wand hand over her head to protect herself from the falling glass balls. Sound roared around them from all sides. People were screaming in pain and anger. A Death Eater lunged at Anna and Ginny, but the redhead stunned him.

Anna wasn't sure which way to go when they reached the end of row ninety-seven. Then, Ron bolted past her and Ginny and turned left. Anna and Ginny were quick to follow him, hearing multiple sets of pounding footsteps behind them. Ron bolted toward a door, pulled it open, and raced into it. Anna quickly followed him with Ginny right on her heels.

She slid to a stop, slamming into Ron's back. Ginny then ran into Anna's while they stared around. They didn't recognize the room they were in.

"Wha-where are we, Ron?" Anna demanded, staring around in shock. They were in a large, dark room with planets floating all around them.

"I-I don't know. I thought-" Ron stuttered, looking around in bewilderment.

"They're coming after us." Luna's voice spoke up from behind them.

Anna spun around, seeing the door still open a crack, silver light peaking into the room. Then, she realized they were short a few people.

"Where're the others? Harry, Hermione, and-and Neville?" she demanded quickly.

"We must've gone the wrong way." Ginny gasped. "Way to go, Ron!" she snapped, turning and smacking her brother on the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"They went this way! In here!" an unfamiliar voice shouted.

"Shut the door!" Anna shouted, bolting back to the door and trying to slam it shut, but she was too late. A few Death Eaters burst into the room, knocking the door open and knocking Anna to the ground. She rolled on the ground and back onto her feet, quickly scrambling to rejoin the other kids.

Spells started flying, but Dumbledore's Army were about as quick as the Death Eaters and they were evenly matched, with four on four. One of the Death Eaters shut the door, and suddenly it was as if they were all light as feathers.

"What the-" Anna was distracted when her feet suddenly left the floor and she floated. She was unbalanced for a moment, her feet going almost level with her waist as her body turned in the air. She twisted frantically so she could continue facing the Death Eater, her wand pointed out in preparation.

" _Stupify_!" she shouted, managing to hit the Death Eater while he was frantically twisting about in the air. Looking around quickly, Anna saw another door across the room. "Guys! Try to get to this other door! This way!" she shouted, grabbing the nearest planet that bumped into her-Mars-and throwing it with all her might at a Death Eater that was dueling Luna in midair.

They all tried to follow her orders, all the while still fighting their attackers. For the most part they appeared to be swimming backwards, as if in the water, while shooting spells and curses at the Death Eaters, who were trying to swim quickly through the air.

Anna was closest to the door, so she tried to provide some cover for the others to give them the chance to catch up. At the same moment she shot _Petrificus Totalus_ at the Death Eater chasing Ron, the same guy shot some unknown spell at Ron, catching him on the shoulder. Ron let out a strangled yelp and floated to the floor. Luckily, Anna's spell had also hit it's target, leaving one Death Eater immobile for now.

"Ron!" Anna shouted. Bracing her feet against the wall behind her, she pushed off and shot down to the ground next to him. "Ron? Are you okay? Can you move?" she asked frantically, unsure if the Death Eater had hit him with the Killing Curse.

But Ron groaned, turning his head slightly and scrunching up his face before he blinked his eyes open. A small drop of blood was starting to drip out from the corner of his mouth. He looked up at her for a moment before groaning.

"Oh. Hi. You look funny."

"Okay, come on. We need to get out of here." Anna told him, reassured that he was talking.

"Where are we? Oh, hey! Look! There's Uranus!" Ron shouted, sitting up and pointing. "Get it, Anna? Uranus!" And with that, Ron burst into a fit of giggles that Anna didn't know he was capable of.

"Alright, yeah, great. Uranus." Anna agreed slowly, completely bewildered and wondering just what that Death Eater had hit Ron with. Ron giggled again and tried to go toward said planet, but Anna quickly grabbed his shoulders. "No, Ron. We really need to go. Guys!" she turned and shouted, trying to find Luna and Ginny in the chaos above her head. "Ron's acting funny and we really need to get out of here!"

"Coming!" Ginny called back before blasting her opponent in the face with her signature Bat-Bogey Hex. He flew back, screaming, giving Ginny the chance to turn and start frantically swimming toward the door.

Anna had just started shoving at Ron, trying to get him to move toward the door while he fought her the whole way, when someone suddenly screamed. Anna froze and whipped her head around, her eyes searching for the problem.

"Ginny!" she screamed, seeing another Death Eater had grabbed onto Ginny's ankle and was pulling her back.

" _Reducto!"_ Luna shouted, and suddenly Pluto exploded in the Death Eater's face, knocking him in the head and making him release Ginny.

"Okay, Ron, we really need to leave now." Anna told him sternly.

"No." Ron moaned. "No, I don't want to. I like it here." And again, he tried to wiggle his way out of Anna's grasp.

"But-but don't you want to see what's in the next room?" Anna asked, trying to sound excited. "There's candy and-and all your favorite things just on the other side of that door." she told him pointing at the door they were all trying to get through. A quick glance upward told Anna that Luna was dragging Ginny toward the door now, both floating in the air.

"Really?" Ron asked excitedly. He then giggled and hurriedly bounced and floated over to the door. Anna hurried after him, both to make sure he didn't get in more trouble and because the unconscious Death Eaters were waking up and trying to get them again.

Anna reached the door a second after Ron, and Luna and Ginny reached it next. Then, the second Ron yanked the door open, everyone who was floating fell to the ground as if gravity had been restored. For Anna, who had been sort of hovering on her tiptoes, it barely caused her to stumble. But Luna and Ginny, who were floating a good foot in the air, with their stomachs more facing the ground than their feet, the landing was a bit more painful. Luna landed on her hands and knees, quickly scrambling to get up again. Ginny managed to land on her feet, but she stumbled and favored one foot, gritting her teeth in pain.

"Quick, move!" Anna shouted, waving them in after Ron. They all quickly hurried through the door, and Anna slammed it shut behind them.

"Ron!" a familiar voice croaked, and Anna turned around to see they were all back in the circular room with all the doors. Harry and Neville were there, Neville holding an unconscious Hermione on his back. "Ginny-are you all-?"

"Harry!" Ron giggled weakly, throwing himself at Harry and clutching the front of his robes to stay upright. "There you are…Ha ha ha…You look funny, Harry…You're all messed up…"

Then, Ron's knees gave out, but he didn't release Harry's robes, pulling him into a sort of bow.

"Anna?" Harry asked fearfully. "Ginny? What happened?"

Ginny shook her head, sliding down a wall. Anna knelt down next to her to look her over.

"I think her ankle's broken." Luna whispered, standing next to them. "I heard something crack. Four of them chased us into a dark room full of planets, it was a very odd place, some of the time we were just floating in the dark-"

"Harry, we saw Uranus up close!" Ron interrupted, still giggling. "Get it, Harry? We saw Uranus-ha ha ha-"

Luna gave a short explanation of what happened to them in the planet room while Anna looked over Ginny's ankle, wondering if there was something she could do. She didn't know much healing magic, and the only experience she had with watching people heal broken bones was when Lockhart 'healed' Harry's broken arm. And that didn't exactly go well.

"I could try to wrap it." she said out loud, partially to Ginny, and partially to herself. "I remember the spell Remus used to mend Ron's leg in the Shrieking Shack."

"Go for it." Ginny mumbled through gritted teeth.

Anna took a deep breath, pointed her wand at Ginny's ankle, and muttered, " _Ferula_."

Instantly, a splint and bandages shot from Anna's wand and bound Ginny's ankle. When it was firmly in place, Ginny sighed in relief.

"That feels a bit better." she admitted.

"We've got to get out of here." Harry announced firmly. "Luna, can you help Ginny?"

"Yes." Luna agreed, sticking her wand behind her ear before wrapping an arm around Ginny's waist and pulling her up.

"It's only my ankle, I can do it myself!" Ginny snapped impatiently, but then her sore ankle gave out and she grabbed onto Luna for support again. Harry pulled Ron's arm over his shoulder and Anna was eager to let him deal with Ron in this condition. Her eyes scanned the twelve doors around them, not sure which to go for.

Harry pulled Ron toward a random door, and they all followed him. They were mere feet from it when another door across the room burst open, revealing Bellatrix Lestrange and two other Death Eaters.

" _There they are!"_ she screeched.

The Death Eaters started shooting Stunning Spells at them. Anna deflected them as best she could, seeing as she was the only one not holding an injured person. Ginny and Luna did their best to help while Harry threw Ron into the room he'd chosen. Harry then returned to help Neville with Hermione. Luna helped Ginny in next before Anna leapt backward through the open doorway. As soon as she was over the threshold, Harry slammed the door shut just before Bellatrix could follow them.

" _Colloportus!"_ Harry shouted, causing the door to lock just as three different bodies slammed into it.

"It doesn't matter!" an unfamiliar man's voice spoke from the other side of the door. Anna barely heard him over her heavy breathing as she leaned forward on her knees. "There are other ways in-WE'VE GOT THEM, THEY'RE HERE!"

Anna quickly straightened back up and looked around. They were back in the brain room, and there were doors all around them. Several pairs of footsteps told her the Death Eaters outside the door were being joined by their comrades.

"Luna, Anna, Neville-help me!" Harry shouted. Anna raced across the room, the four of them rushing to reach every door and lock it as they went.

" _Colloportus!"_ Anna shouted. As she moved to a couple more doors, she was aware of running footsteps on the other side of the walls. A few times, another body would slam into an already-locked door, making it groan and shake.

Anna and Luna reached two doors a few feet away from each other. Anna locked hers, and Luna began to do the same.

" _Collo-aaaaaaaaaargh…"_

Anna jumped and saw Luna go flying across the room. Anna lurched away from the door that five Death Eaters swarmed through. Anna barely saw Luna hit a desk, slide over the surface, and land on the other side, where Anna could no longer see her.

" _Protego!"_ Anna shot up, barely defending herself from some spell the nearest Death Eater shot at her.

"Get Potter!" Bellatrix screeched, running at said boy. Anna barely saw him dodging her, but had to focus on her own current opponent.

" _Crucio!_ " the man yelled.

" _Protego! Stupefy!"_ Anna countered, barely protecting herself even though the Death Eater easily blocked her second spell. As they continued to duel, Anna was barely aware that Ron was babbling to Harry, but she couldn't do much to help. Then, two words Ron spoke caught her attention.

" _Accio Brain_!"

It was as if everything moved in slow motion. Anna, Harry, Ginny, and Neville, as well as every single Death Eater in the room, turned to see a brain burst up out of the green liquid. If seemed to hover above the tank for just a second, then it flew toward Ron. It was spinning, and what looked like ribbons of images unraveled from it like film.

"Ha ha ha, Harry, look at it." Ron laughed as it flew toward him. "Harry, come and touch it, bet it's weird."

"RON, NO!" Harry shouted, lunging toward his best friend, but Ron had already caught the brain in his outstretched hands.

Anna watched, feeling cold dread and horror spreading through her limbs as the tentacles dangling from the brain started wrapping around Ron's arms and latching on.

"Harry, look what's happen-no-no, I don't like it-no, stop- _stop_ -"

The tentacles spun around Ron's chest, and he tried to tug them off, but they merely hung on tighter.

" _Diffindo!"_ Harry shouted, trying to cut the tentacles, but it didn't work. They just tightened their hold and Ron fell over, thrashing on the ground.

"Harry, it'll suffocate him!" Ginny screamed from where she was sitting on the floor due to her ankle. Then, a red light from a Death Eater's wand hit her in the face, causing her to fall over sideways, unconscious on the floor.

Anna leapt back into action, dodging around the Death Eater she'd been dueling so she could shoot a Stunning Spell at the Death Eater who'd attacked Ginny. She planted herself next to Ginny, throwing spells at any Death Eater her eyes landed on.

" _STUBEFY_!" Neville shouted, his voice stuffed up due to a broken nose. " _STUBEFY! STUBEFY!_ "

Unfortunately, nothing happened. One Death Eater shot his own Stunning Spell back at Neville, missing him by inches. Harry continued to try and help Ron, while Neville and Anna continued fighting the five Death Eaters.

Two Death Eaters suddenly shot streams of silver light past Harry and Neville, leaving large holes in the wall. When Bellatrix ran at Harry, he turned and leapt through one of the holes and ran, holding the prophecy high above his head. Anna was almost shocked he was running away, but when all the Death Eaters abandoned her and Neville in exchange for chasing Harry, she realized what he was doing. He was leading the Death Eaters away from them. It was both courageous and stupid, in Anna's opinion.

"I hab to help him!" Neville exclaimed, hurrying after them.

"Wha-but Neville!" Anna shouted, but it was too late. He'd already disappeared. Sighing, Anna's shoulders slumped. She almost didn't know what to do with herself and all the adrenaline still pumping in her veins from the dueling. Shaking her head, she hurried over to Ron, who was still wrestling with that stupid brain. She dropped her wand beside her and started tugging at the tentacles, yanking with all her might to get them to release Ron. But they wouldn't budge, and Ron's face was steadily turning bluer.

Panic was seeping in, when another idea popped into her head.

" _Glacius!"_ Anna shouted desperately, her wand pointed less than an inch from the squishy brain's wrinkled surface. From that point, the brain began to freeze, a pinkish-white splotch growing steadily over it. It stopped moving, stopped trying to strangle Ron. The ice spread from the brain into it's many tentacles. When it was done, Anna pointed her wand at it again.

" _Reducto!"_

The spell hit the frozen-solid brain, and it shattered. Ron, now unconscious, gasped in a lungful of air, falling limply to the ground. Anna quickly bent over him, feeling for his pulse under his jaw. When she felt a steady heartbeat, she sighed in relief, her head dropping onto his chest for a second before she sat up.

Standing shakily, Anna was half-tempted to follow after Harry and Neville. But at the same time she was scared to do that. She wanted to check on Luna, Hermione, and Ginny, but she felt like she needed to go check on Harry and Neville.

As she stood there debating, she heard rushed footsteps approaching her. Lifting

her wand defensively, she waited to see who would come through.

She certainly wasn't expecting who she saw, but she was relieved all the same.

"Anna!" Tonks exclaimed, hurrying over to her. Remus and Moody were right behind her.

"Thank goodness you're here." Anna gasped, her hand falling back to her side. "Harry-and Neville-they went that way." she panted, pointing behind her at the gaping hole in the wall. "A bunch of Death Eaters went after them."

That was all she needed to say. They all rushed past her, leaving her once again alone.

Taking another deep breath, Anna felt more at ease knowing several members of the Order were here to help. Now, it was easy for her to decide to check on the others. Moving over to Ginny, Anna knelt beside her and checked her pulse like she did with Ron. She was breathing, and Anna didn't know what to do for her other than that.

Luna and Hermione were the same, a bit battered and bruised, but breathing and alive.

Now, with nothing to really do, Anna found herself drawn to follow the others. Surely she could help, right? If anything, she could make sure Harry and Neville were okay. She could provide some backup.

Having talked herself into it, Anna pushed down her nerves and carefully stepped through the gaping hole in the wall. She followed the sounds of battle, shouts and things being smashed. It came from the only door still open. Anna approached that door and peaked out and down.

It was the room with the arch, and people were dueling, many more people than Anna was expecting. It seemed all the Death Eaters from before had arrived, about a dozen of them, and she could see other Order members than the ones she'd directed this way. There was Kingsley, and…Anna sucked in a deep breath, even though she wasn't exactly surprised. Her father, Sirius, was down there dueling Dolohov. Moody's body was laying nearby, Anna prayed he was alive, and Harry and Neville were nearby watching.

Wand clutched tightly in her hand, Anna slowly and carefully made her way down the stone benches. She saw Tonks halfway up the benches several feet over, dueling Bellatrix. Just as she reached the bottom of the benches, Harry shot Dolohov with the Body-Bind Curse. Dolohov went stiff as a board and fell backward on his back.

"Nice one!" Sirius shouted, shoving Harry's head down to duck a pair of Stunning Spells. Anna leapt back as they hit the ground near her feet. "Now I want you to get out of-"

They both ducked again, and this time Anna had to duck, also, as a jet of green light flew over their heads. Anna stared in horror as Tonks tumbled down the stone steps, her body limp. Bellatrix, with a triumphant smile, hurried back into the thick of the fight.

Sirius finally noticed his daughter behind him and grabbed her shoulder. "Anna, go with Harry, and you two take the prophecy and Neville, and run!" he ordered them before hurrying off toward Bellatrix.

Anna wanted to argue, but her father was already gone and Kingsley was blocking their vision as he dueled Rookwood. Anna looked anxiously around the room before her eyes went back to her cousin. Tonks still hadn't moved, and Anna wanted desperately to rush over and check on her. She couldn't be dead. She just couldn't be.

"Can you walk?" Harry bellowed. Anna turned and looked back. Neville's legs were bouncing and dancing wildly around. "Put your arm around my neck-"

Neville did as he was told, and Harry heaved him up. Neville's legs were still flying and Anna moved forward to help them. She was about to reach out and take Neville's other arm, when a man came out of nowhere and lunged at them. Harry and Neville fell backward. Anna stumbled, but managed to stay upright. Lucius Malfoy was sprawled atop the two boys.

"The prophecy, give me the prophecy, Potter!"

 _"Petrificus Totalus!"_ Anna shouted, her wand pointed at him.

Malfoy's limp body flew across the room, smashing into the dais where Sirius and Bellatrix were now dueling. Remus rushed over to them at that moment.

"Harry, round up the others and GO!" he ordered.

Anna watched as Remus rushed off again to duel one of the two Death Eaters Kingsley was dueling. Anna kept her eye on the surrounding battles while Harry and Neville struggled to climb the stone benches. She tried to help push Neville, who was still struggling with his dancing legs, but she also wanted to make sure no one attacked them from behind.

Harry tugged on Neville's school robes, causing a large rip. Anna glanced over her shoulder at the tearing sound, and then watched in slow motion as the glass orb this whole fight started over fell, got kicked by Neville's flaying feet, and smashed on the step beneath them. A ghostly figure emerge from the broken glass, but Anna couldn't make out the words that were spoken over the rest of the fighting.

And yet, Anna couldn't stop her eyes from being drawn to the duel between her father and his cousin. She could hear him taunting her, egging her on. She wanted to yell at him to focus on his dueling and not making his cousin angry. It was clear they were both skilled duelists, but Bellatrix was insane on top of all of that.

Glancing back briefly at Harry and Neville, Anna hesitantly stepped away from them. Her eyes fixed on her father's duel apart from occasionally glancing around to ensure someone wasn't going to attack her. Then, a thought occurred to her.

Bellatrix was focused solely on making Sirius fall. She wasn't paying attention to anyone else, least of all Anna.

Glancing around, Anna hurried around the dais so that she was directly behind Bellatrix. She focused intently on the spell she wanted to perform, because she wanted to do it silently.

 _'Stupefy!'_ Anna thought firmly, pointing her wand at Bellatrix's back.

"Argh!" Bellatrix shrieked, lurching forward when Anna's spell hit it's target. Unfortunately, the spell wasn't as strong as it would have been if she'd spoken it out loud. Bellatrix glared at Anna over her shoulder, a maniacal gleam in her eye.

"So, that's how it's going to be, is it?" she shrieked, shooting a spell at Anna.

Sirius shot another spell at Bellatrix, and soon, father and daughter were dueling Bellatrix from either side of her.

"Anna, get out of here." Sirius barked.

Anna ignored him and continued to duel with her father's insane cousin.

Suddenly, Anna got distracted by a couple Death Eaters running past the dais behind Bellatrix, looking terrified. Anna glanced around briefly to see what they were running from, when the movement of Bellatrix slashing her wand through the air caught her eye. Before she could fully return her attention to what was happening, she felt a slicing pain in her stomach. It stung and after a delayed moment, Anna screamed slightly, her hand moving slowly to her stomach. When she pulled her hand away, it was covered in blood.

"Anna!" several voices were screaming at her, but her vision was getting blurry. Her shirt was wet and sticking to her stomach. Her head was spinning.

She looked around, trying to make sense of everything. People were running around. She thought she saw Bellatrix running away, with Harry and Dumbledore on her tail. Everything was muffled and her ears were drumming loudly.

She was suddenly looking up at the ceiling, blurry faces looking down at her. She blinked slowly to try and clear her vision, but it was hard. She thought she saw her dad, and maybe Remus, but it was hard to tell. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she thought their lips were moving.

Then, her eyes grew too heavy to keep open.

 **XXX**

 **Dun dun** _ **duuun**_ **! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!**

 **Hope you all liked this chapter. Review to let me know what you all thought!**


	17. Graduation

The first thing Annabelle heard was a couple voices talking quietly from a short distance away. Turning her head a bit, she realized it was on something soft and fluffy, like a pillow. Scrunching up her face, Anna tried to force her eyes open. While trying to convince her eyelids to open, she took a deep breath through her nose. The scents she recognized were bitter potions, an aromatic smell that she recognized as some kind of flower, something woodsy, and…gunpowder.

Anna's lips twitched slightly and she finally forced her eyes open. With her head turned to one side, she saw the far, back wall of the hospital wing. And sitting on the small table next to her bed was a bouquet of oriental lilies and tulips in a glass vase. All the oriental lilies were a dark reddish-orange in the middle, but then the peddles faded out to a lighter orange near the ends. The tulips were colored much the same.

"Better than the last bouquet I got you, huh?" a familiar voice spoke from her other side. "I figured you'd like orange better then pink."

Anna smiled, slowly turning her heavy head to look to her other side. There, sitting in a chair at her bedside, was Fred.

"Hi." she whispered before clearing her throat since her voice came out croaky. "And yeah, way better than pink."

Fred grinned, reaching over and picking her hand up off the sheets to hold in both of his. His warm palms felt wonderful on her cold skin. "I know I wanted to see you again soon, but this wasn't exactly what I had in mind." he told her jokingly. "How're you feeling?" he asked, his tone turning more gentle as he looked down at her.

Anna's brows furrowed as she took stock of her aches and pains. "Um,…I'm a bit lightheaded. My mouth and throat is dry. Uh, my stomach…" Anna trailed off, trying to lift her heavy head off her pillow to look down at her stomach. She was wearing a simple, white robe that she didn't recognized as her own.

Fred squeezed her hand, and Anna let her head fall back so she could look over at him. "Do you remember what happened?" he asked softly. "You guys were at the Department of Mysteries."

Anna's eyes went a little wide and she focused on Fred's freckled cheeks as she thought back on what she could remember. "I followed the Order members in case they needed any help…Harry was trying to get Neville out of there, but Neville's legs were going crazy. My dad…" Anna sucked in a breath. "Dad was dueling Bellatrix Lestrange. He was messing around, and I didn't want him to get himself hurt or killed. So, I snuck up behind her and attacked her with Stupefy, but it didn't work as well as it could've, because I did it silently. But it got her attention, and me and Dad started dueling her. But then…" Anna paused to think, "I got distracted. I saw a couple Death Eaters behind Bellatrix. They were running away. They were scared of something. I glanced around to see what they were running away from, but then…I think Bellatrix attacked me, but…everything gets kinda fuzzy after that."

Fred nodded slowly, his grin no longer lighting his face as he looked at her. "Yeah. Obviously I wasn't there, but Sirius and Remus filled me in when I got here. The Death Eaters started running away because Dumbledore showed up. And when you got distracted, Bellatrix hit you with a Severing Charm, or something like that, right in the stomach. Madam Pomfrey fixed you up after they got you back here, but she said you'll need to take another Blood Replenishing Potion after you've woken up. And you'll need to rest and take it easy for a few more days."

Anna nodded slowly before she tensed and looked around the room. "The other's…?" she asked worriedly.

Fred smiled reassuringly before scooting over slightly so she could see past him. Hermione was sleeping in the bed next to Anna's, and Ginny, Neville, Harry, Luna, and Ron were all just past her in their own beds in varying degrees of consciousness. Ginny was sitting up and talking with Luna, Harry, and Neville.

"They're all fine, for the most part. Pomfrey's taking care of 'em." Fred assured her, reaching over to tuck some of her hair behind her ear.

"Good." Anna sighed in relief, laying back on her pillow again. "So, what all happened after I passed out?"

Fred hummed thoughtfully, leaning his elbows forward on the edge of her bed and holding her hand between both of his. "Well, um,…Bellatrix Lestrange took off after she attacked you, and Harry decided to chase her down for some reason. I think he just wanted to make sure all of You-Know-Who's followers were back behind bars. But…I guess You-Know-Who himself showed up and they dueled, and Dumbledore showed up to help. Basically, only You-Know-Who and Bellatrix Lestrange got away. All the other Death Eaters were arrested and taken to Azkaban."

"Really?" Anna perked up. " _All_ of them? Even Malfoy?" If Malfoy got locked up, Anna found she felt that that would be some form of justice. Even if he wasn't arrested for rigging Anna's trial, at least he would be put behind bars for something, which was better than nothing.

Fred grinned. "Even Malfoy. And that's not all of it, either. Apparently Ministry people started showing up just in time to see You-Know-Who before he vanished again. Even the Minister himself saw him. I reckon Fudge'll be making an official statement by tonight."

Anna sighed, a relieved smile stretching over her cheeks as she let her head drop back on the pillow. "It's about bloody time."

"You're telling me." Fred agreed, chuckling.

"Anything else I need to know about?" Anna asked, opening her eyes again and lazily turning her head to look at him again.

"Hmm. George hopes you feel better. He'll probably pop in to see everyone either later tonight or tomorrow, but one of us needed to stay at the shop until it closed for the day. I brought a bunch of chocolate frogs for everyone from the both of us." he added, nodding toward Anna's flowers. She turned her head to see about a handful of chocolate frogs sitting on the small table next to the vase. Turning her head again, she saw similar piles on all the other bedside tables for the others.

"Oh, and check that out." Fred suddenly whispered, leaning down and pointing at the beds opposite to Anna's and the other's. Anna followed his pointing finger and her mouth fell open slightly. Umbridge was in one of the beds, her usually neat hair messed up with twigs and leaves sticking out of it.

"She's not too seriously hurt. Apparently Harry and Hermione got her carried off by the centaurs. Dumbledore went into the forest and got her with no problems, and no one knows how he managed to pull it off."

"Well, that's not too surprising." Anna murmured, looking back at Fred. "It's Dumbledore. He's capable of just about everything."

Fred snorted quietly. "True."

Anna's eyes were heavy, and she was struggling to focus. Fred noticed and kissed her forehead.

"Rest your eyes, love. Someone will be here when you wake up."

XXX

When Anna woke up again, it was a few hours later and both twins were in the hospital wing when she blinked her eyes open. Madam Pomfrey saw her open eyes first and forced a nasty-tasting Blood-Replenishing Potion down her throat before she could fall asleep again.

"I was wondering if I'd get to talk to you today." George commented, approaching Anna's bed from where he'd been talking to Ron, Neville, and Ginny. Anna couldn't see Luna anywhere, but Harry was sitting with Hermione, who was awake.

"Hey. How's the shop doing?" Anna asked curiously.

"Brilliantly." George told her with a grin, sitting on the edge of Anna's bed. "We're raking in the Galleons and we're busy all the time. We aren't getting many people in the actual shop yet, since everyone's in school, but we've got a list of mail orders a mile long."

"Sounds like fun." Anna said with a slight grin.

The large doors to the hospital wing swung open and everyone turned to see who entered. Anna perked up when she saw both her parents, Aslan in her mother's arms.

"Anna!" Sirius beamed, leading his wife across the room to their daughter. George politely got off Anna's bed and moved around it to sit on a chair on her other side. Fred scooted closer to the head of Anna's bed so he wasn't in the way. He also helped Anna to sit up, propping her pillow up behind her.

"How're you feeling, darling?" Wren asked, smiling softly even as her eyes scanned Anna's body worriedly.

"I'm fine, Mum." Anna assured her.

Aslan wiggled in his mother's arms, holding his hands out for his sister. Wren and Sirius chuckled.

"Someone missed his big sister." Sirius noted.

"Is your stomach okay? Do you want to hold him?" Wren asked uncertainly.

"My stomach's fine. Pomfrey healed it up and it doesn't even hurt anymore." Anna assured her mother again, holding her hands out for her little brother. At ten months old, Aslan was quite a bit bigger than the last time Anna had seen him in January, and he looked like he could sit up on his own easily. And when Anna took him in her hands, she was surprised by how big he was. He had to be at least twenty pounds now.

"Jeez, you're heavy." Anna huffed jokingly, plopping her brother into her lap.

"And active." Wren laughed, sitting on the edge of Anna's bed. "He's been crawling for a while, and he just started walking. He's been getting into all kinds of trouble."

Fred, George, and Anna laughed, while Sirius joked, "What are you complaining about? You're at work all day. I'm the one who has to watch him most of the time."

"Mhm." Wren eyed him through narrowed eyes. "And how often does Remus have to step in because you're not paying attention to your own son?"

"Oh come on, I pay attention to him. He's just a quick little bugger." Sirius corrected her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders while using his other hand to tickle Aslan's side. Aslan giggled and crawled up Anna's stomach. Anna easily lent him her hands, which he used to pull himself up to a standing position on her lap.

"Oh, have any of you seen Dumbledore?" Anna asked suddenly, looking up between her parents and the twins. "Or McGonagall?"

"I spoke with Dumbledore a little while ago, and he said he'd be popping in to check on all of you in a while. Why?" Sirius answered.

"Um, well,…" Anna hesitated, looking back down at her brother. "I just needed to talk to one of them about something…"

"Anna." her mother spoke in a warning tone. "What did you do this time?"

"I didn't do anything." Anna defended herself. "I just…may or may not have skipped my History of Magic NEWT." she admitted quietly.

"Anna!" Wren exclaimed in shock.

"I didn't do it on pur-well, I mean obviously I did do it on purpose, but…come on, Harry had that dream, and we all thought you were being tortured." Anna explained, looking up at her dad. "I couldn't just take some stupid test thinking you were going to be killed by Voldemort."

Sirius sighed, nodding his head. "I suppose so." He tightened his hold around his wife's shoulders. "Dumbledore would understand, love. I'm sure he could pull some strings so Anna could take her test later."

Wren sighed, looking worried. "I suppose so."

"Hey, worst case scenario, I don't get that NEWT and I'll take a job at Fred and George's shop instead of the Ministry."

"Yeah!" Fred and George agreed easily. Sirius laughed while Wren smiled, though she looked like she didn't exactly like that option.

Anna's family and the twins stayed for a good hour, talking with all the kids before saying they'd see them on the platform and leaving.

XXX

Anna was released from the hospital wing the next day, and Dumbledore indeed pulled some strings so that she could take her History of Magic NEWT that afternoon. The next few days were rather uneventful, and Anna spent a good portion of her time in the hospital wing keeping the others company. When she wasn't in there, she was hanging out with her other friends, usually outside to enjoy the hot, sunny weather, and a couple last swims in the lake before they left Hogwarts.

Professor Flitwick, who'd sworn to Umbridge he didn't know how to get rid of the twins' portable swamp, got rid of said swamp in three seconds flat. But he did keep a tiny patch of it roped off, saying it was a good bit of magic.

Harry also almost got into a fight with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, but luckily McGonagall returned to Hogwarts just in time to rescue Harry from Snape and give Gryffindor plenty of points.

Ron and Hermione were the last of their little group to be released from the hospital wing, which was a few days before the end of term. But the highlight of the week was the day before the end of term, at least in Anna's opinion.

Umbridge had tried sneaking out of the hospital wing while everyone else was at dinner, probably hoping to leave without anyone noticing.

She must've forgotten about Peeves.

The poltergeist clearly wanted to take advantage of his last chance to follow Fred's orders. He joyfully chased her off the grounds, whacking her with both McGonagall's walking stick and a sock full of chalk. Anna was among the hundreds of students to race to the entrance hall to watch her run away like the coward she was. The Heads of Houses made halfhearted attempts to restrain the students and make them return to their dinners. McGonagall hardly did anything before sitting back down. Though, Anna heard her voice her regret that she hadn't been able to join in because Peeves stole her walking stick.

"I still can't believe McGonagall said that." Anna laughed the next night at dinner, the last night of the school year.

"I know!" Angelina laughed. "Merlin, I'm going to miss her." she sighed, looking wistfully up toward the staff table.

"Well, _I'm_ going to miss all of you." Katie sighed with a sad smile, looking around at Anna, Lee, Alicia, and Angelina. "It just won't be the same without all of you on the Quidditch team."

"Aw, you'll be fine." Anna wrapped an arm around Katie's shoulders. "Harry will probably be back on the team next year, and maybe Ginny."

"Yeah, I know. But it won't be the same." Katie sighed.

"I thought the same after Charlie graduated." Anna pointed out. "But I lived."

"I know." Katie repeated, taking another bite of her dinner.

XXX

Anna sighed deeply, turning to look back over her shoulder and up at the castle behind her. She would certainly miss this place, and more than anything, she was almost terrified to leave. While in Hogwarts, it felt like nothing could hurt her, even though she knew that was far from true. But with Voldemort's return finally being acknowledged, and a war on the horizon, she was almost terrified to leave the safety of Hogwarts' walls.

"Everything will be fine." Angelina told her, wrapping an arm around Anna's shoulders. "We're ready to move on. Right?"

Anna grinned at her and Alicia, who stood just past her. "Right."

Every other year, the students would get on the carriages and ride back to Hogsmeade station, but not for seventh year. No, all the seventh years of every House were currently standing in a ragged line starting on the school grounds and ending in the entrance hall. McGonagall was standing in front of them all, Professors Sprout, Flitwick, and Snape fanned out behind her.

McGonagall had just given them all a speech about how they were entering the real world and were about to face new challenges that they'd never faced before. Now, the line was slowly moving forward as she handed them something. As Anna and her friends were near the middle, she wasn't quite sure what they were being given.

Finally, after about five minutes, Angelina was the first of their group to reach the Heads of Houses. McGonagall smiled at her, tapped her wand to a sheet of parchment, and said a few short words before handing the parchment to Ang. The girl gave McGonagall a smile and a nod before stepping past her.

Anna stepped forward next, unaware she was holding her breath.

McGonagall smiled at her, as well, before tapping her wand to a sheet of parchment and handing it to her.

"Congratulations, Ms. Black. It was an honor to have been your teacher."

Anna smiled gratefully, feeling a familiar burn in her eyes as she took the parchment from her Head of House. "Thank you, Professor." she returned thickly.

With that, Anna stepped past the four Professors and followed Angelina down to the lake, where the same boats that had carried them their first year were waiting at the waters edge. As she walked across the grounds, Anna finally looked curiously down at the sheet of parchment in her hand.

 **Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test RESULTS**

 _Pass Grades:_

Outstanding (O)

Exceeds Expectations (E)

Acceptable (A)

 _Fail Grades:_

Poor (P)

Dreadful (D)

Troll (T)

 _ **ANNABELLE ESME BLACK HAS ACHIEVED**_

 _Care of Magical Creatures: O_

 _Charms: O_

 _Defense Against the Dark Arts: E_

 _Herbology: E_

 _History of Magic: E_

 _Potions: E_

 _Transfiguration: O_

Anna grinned to herself as she scanned her grades. She'd managed to get all seven of her NEWTs. Sure, that wasn't too surprising, but she would've thought she would've got at least one or two Acceptables, but she got all Outstanding and Exceeds Expectations.

"Did you get all your NEWTs?" Angelina asked eagerly as Anna joined her, carefully stepping into the boat. She quickly realized they'd only fit about two or three of them in each boat.

"Yeah, and these seem smaller than last time." Anna noted out loud as she carefully sat down.

"Well, we were eleven last time we road in these." Angelina pointed out as Alicia and Lee got in a second boat next to them.

"True."

They road their boats across the Black Lake, which was calm and serene under the warm sun. Anna couldn't stop herself from reaching a hand down and letting her fingers drag through the cool water. When her hand bumped something, she drew it back quickly only to see the giant squid peaking out of the water. Anna laughed, reaching down and touching the squid's cold, smooth skin.

It felt like they blinked and they were suddenly stepping onto the train. Their usual group found an empty compartment and settled in for the ride. While they did still talk and play games, it was mildly subdued. They didn't quite want to acknowledge the fact that they would never ride the train together like this again.

"It's a bit nerve-wracking, isn't it?" Angelina asked after the deck of Exploding Snap cards exploded in Lee's face. "It's really happening. We're going out into the real world, just in time for a war. I think it's finally hitting me."

"Same here." Alicia murmured. "I mean, we've all known for almost a year that You-Know-Who's back, but to see it printed on the _Daily Prophet_ …"

"Yeah." Anna whispered while the others nodded in agreement.

When the train neared the platform, they all went down to the bathroom to change out of their school robes. Anna couldn't help holding the worn robes up after pulling them off, gazing at them for a long moment. Sure, she'd bought a few different school robes over the years, so these weren't the same ones from her first year. But they represented the same thing, and they carried thousands of memories of her school years.

When the train finally pulled into the station, Anna followed the others onto the platform. As she pushed her trolley toward the barrier, she barely caught a glimpse of Ginny 'saying goodbye' to her new boyfriend, Dean Thomas. The day they started dating, Ginny told her how she'd dumped Michael Corner. Anna couldn't wait until her brothers found out. Though, Ron would probably prefer Dean to Michael. Maybe.

After running through the barrier, Anna hugged Angelina, Alicia, and Katie goodbye with promises to keep in touch. Then, they all went their separate ways to find their families.

It was fairly easy for Anna to find her family. The group was so large they stood out in the crowd as multiple people gave them a wide berth. Anna's mind barely registered the large group and it's members, but she focused mainly on the group in front consisting of her parents, brother, Molly, Arthur, George, and Fred.

Grinning widely, Anna pushed her trolley a little farther before hurrying past it to hug her parents first, one arm around each of them. Sirius kissed the top of her head and Aslan wiggled in the space between Anna and Wren's chests. Whilst in the group hug, Anna smiled over her parents' shoulders at the group behind them.

Moody was there wearing a traveling cloak, a bowler hat over his magical eye, and carrying a long staff. Tonks was just past him with bubble-gum pink hair, patched jeans, and a purple Weird Sisters t-shirt. Next to Tonks stood Lupin, his hair a bit grayer than it was last Christmas, and a threadbare overcoat over his shabby jumper and trousers.

When Anna pulled away from her parents, Molly stepped forward and gave her a tight hug before she was able to greet the twins. She threw her arms around Fred's neck, his going around her lower back. He buried his face in her neck for a moment before he pulled back. Finally getting a good look at him, Anna stepped back and looked him over.

"What on earth are you wearing?" she asked with a laugh just as Ron, Harry, and Hermione arrived. She was referring to the lurid green jackets both twins were wearing made of some scaly material.

"Finest dragon skin." Fred answered smugly, winking at his little brother, who was gaping at them. "Business is booming and we thought we'd treat ourselves."

"Charlie's going to skin you when he sees those." Anna noted.

"Hello, Harry." Remus greeted the black-haired boy.

"Hi…" Harry greeted uncertainly. "what are you all doing here?"

"Well," Remus exchanged an almost-devious smile with Sirius. "we thought we might have a little chat with your aunt and uncle before letting them take you home."

"I dunno if that's a good idea." Harry argued at once. Anna bit her lip to keep from laughing. From what she knew of Harry's aunt and uncle, they would practically piss themselves when they saw this particular group.

"Oh, I think it is." Sirius countered deviously. Wren shook her head, but couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"That'll be them, will it, Potter?" Moody pointed his thumb over his shoulder, his magical eye peering through the back of his head. Anna peaked around the group and caught sight of the Dursleys looking horrified by the people Harry was talking to.

Anna, Fred, and George snickered and stayed where they were while most of the group approached the Dursleys.

"Oh, they really are going to piss themselves." Anna laughed, shaking her head as George gave her a hug, finally able to greet her without interruption.

"Especially when they get a good look at Moody's eye." George noted, setting Anna back on the ground after he'd lifted her off her feet.

"Anyway," Fred pulled Anna's attention back to him, "we already treated ourselves, but I'm treating you this weekend."

Anna eyed him suspiciously. "Treating me, how?" she asked carefully.

"I'm taking you out on a date. Maybe a fancy dinner or something. You'll have to wait and see." Fred admitted.

"You don't have to take me somewhere fancy." When Fred opened his mouth to argue, Anna hurriedly interrupted him, "We can go out to dinner and go do something fun, but you don't need to spend a bunch on me. You know me, I'm not like that."

Fred sighed and rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "Alright, fine. I'll keep that in mind. Now, can I please have a kiss while your dad's distracted?"

Anna laughed, but obliged and stepped closer. Fred wrapped an arm around her lower back, pulled her close, and leaned down for a good, long kiss. Anna couldn't help smiling during the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. They were interrupted by someone coughing. They pulled away and looked at George. Anna was blushing, but Fred was smirking.

"What? I just don't want to bleach my eyes!" George joked, making the other two laugh.

"Come on. Let's go join the others before Harry leaves." Fred suggested. He draped an arm around Anna's shoulder as the trio approached the rest of their group. Anna wrapped her own arm around Fred's back as they walked. The others must've been done threatening the Dursleys by the time they reached them, because Sirius was talking to Harry now. He was saying that if they didn't hear from Harry for three days in a row, they'd send someone to check on him.

"We'll have you out of there soon, Harry." Wren promised him quietly.

"I know." Harry gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

Sirius gave Harry a quick hug, then Wren gave him one. They all laughed when Aslan tangled his little fingers in Harry's messy, black hair and gave it a tug. Anna had to step in and help Harry get free.

"I'll miss you, too, Aslan." Harry laughed, giving Aslan a small hug before giving Anna a hug.

"We'll get you out soon, and then we can all go visit the twins' shop." Anna assured him before they pulled apart. Harry grinned at her.

"Can't wait."

Harry followed the Dursleys away, and the rest of the group said their goodbyes among themselves.

"I'll owl you within the next couple days. We can have a date night or something this weekend." Fred told Anna, giving her one last hug. "And you can visit the shop."

"I can't wait." Anna grinned widely, giving him a last kiss on the cheek.

She then hugged some of the others, like Tonks, Ginny, and Hermione. Finally, she followed her parents and Remus out of the station to Apparate home.

XXX

The familiar twist of Apparation left Anna's stomach as she appeared in the streets of Diagon Alley. She looked around as she began the walk toward number 93. She saw hundreds of Ministry posters and wanted posters of Death Eaters in many of the windows she passed.

There weren't many people walking the streets, and the people Anna did see were hunched over and hurrying around to finish whatever they were doing. Finally, a large, three-story, purple-bricked shop came into view. A wide, excited smile spread over Anna's face as she took in the finished shop.

The display windows were full of products that spun, flashed, or popped. The right hand window had a large poster that read:

WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT

YOU-KNOW-WHO?

YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT

U-NO-POO:

THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION

THAT'S GRIPPING THE NATION!

Anna laughed, both hands coming up to cover her mouth as she let her eyes travel up and down the building. It was finally hitting her.

They did it. Fred and George succeeded in making their dream a reality, despite all the naysayers and their lack of NEWTs. Despite Bagman taking all their lifesavings. They did it.

Taking a moment to collect herself, Anna finally stepped forward and opened the front door.

The shop was already crowded despite only opening for the day about an hour ago. Kids were rushing around in small groups, laughing excitedly and yelling for their parents to come see what they'd found.

"Impressive, huh?" a familiar voice made Anna look to her right. George was looking over his shoulder at her from where he was stocking a shelf of Skiving Snackboxes, wearing bright magenta robes.

"Yeah, it is." Anna approached him and gave him a hug. "But what are you wearing?" she asked when she pulled away, eyeing the robes with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

"It's our work uniform. Why? You don't like it?" George asked in mock dismay.

Anna pursed her lips for a moment before meeting his eyes. "It's…interesting."

"That's a good thing." George pointed out.

"Whatever you say." Anna chuckled.

"Come on. Fred should be just over here. He was helping some kids find the Trick Wands." George told her, waving her after him as he wove in and out of the crowd.

Sure enough, she found Fred across the store, demonstrating the Trick Wands for a group of excited kids. Anna and George stood back and watched the master at work. Within a minute, all four kids had grabbed a Trick Wand and hurried off to beg their parents to buy it.

"Four out of four." Anna commented loud enough for Fred to hear. "Very impressive."

Fred looked up and grinned at her. "It pays to be charming." he gloated, approaching her and giving her a tight hug.

"Is that what that was?" she joked, hugging him tight for a moment before pulling back.

"So, what brings you by? You didn't mention stopping in today. And I haven't got the chance to owl you about our date."

"She just missed us so much since she saw us yesterday on the platform." George told his twin mockingly. "She couldn't stand to wait another day."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Yeah. That's it." she deadpanned before grinning. "Really, I was out and about anyway. I just put in my application to the Investigation Department at the Ministry."

"Oh, yeah, how'd your NEWTs go? Are you super smart?" George asked with a grin.

"Well, I don't know about being smart-" Anna started, only for Fred to lightly bop her on the head, "but I did get all seven of my NEWTs. So, assuming there aren't too many people with more NEWTs than me applying for the same position, I should get the job."

"Even if you didn't, you know you've got a spot here." Fred reminded her.

"Yeah, I know." Anna assured him with a grin.

"And there're plenty of other things you could do that're animal related. Like, you could breed certain animals, like hippogriffs or something." George suggested.

Anna nodded with a slight shrug. "That's true. Maybe I'll look into that down the road. Breeding Kneazles or Crups is good money and would probably be fun for me. Oh, and speaking of hippogriffs, Dumbledore's arranged for Buckbeak to go back to living with Hagrid. But they're going to change his name so no one will notice."

"You going to miss him?" Fred guessed.

Anna gave a shrug. "Yeah, but he'd be happier. He's been pretty lonely with me being in school, even though Dad and Remus would visit him everyday. But with me being at work everyday if I get the job, he'd be too lonely. So, it's for the best. And Hagrid will take good care of him."

"Yeah, he'll be fine." George agreed.

"Hey, you wanna see the Pygmy Puffs in the back?" Fred suddenly asked eagerly. "We've got a few up front for sale, but we've got a whole pen of them in the back."

"Sure." Anna agreed eagerly.

"You two head back. I'll stay up front in case Verity needs any help." George told them, heading off to talk to a customer in the WonderWitch section.

Fred took Anna's hand and lead her toward the counter, where a witch about their age with short, blonde hair was ringing up customers.

Fred paused just as the girl handed change to a witch with a young son. "Verity, this is my girlfriend, Annabelle. Anna, this is Verity." he introduced them, waving his hand back and forth.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Anna greeted her, offering her hand.

Verity shook her hand, grinning widely at her. "You, too. I've heard a lot about you from Mr. Weasley, here." she told her. "He said you've helped them come up with a lot of their products?"

"A few, yeah." Anna admitted with a blush.

"A few _hundred_ , more like." Fred countered, smirking down at her. "Stop being modest. Anyway," he turned back to Verity, "I'm going to show her around the backroom. If you need any help, George is around, or just call me, okay?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Weasley." Verity nodded, turning back to a customer who was waiting patiently to pay.

Fred opened the door on the wall behind the counter and waved Anna through ahead of him. She stepped through and looked around the room. It was much larger than it realistically should have been, but that's what's so great about magic.

There was a set of large shelves along one wall, filled with labeled jars of what she guessed were the different ingredients. There were also stacks of boxes everywhere. And a long work table to her left with a few cauldrons on them.

"The Puffs are back here." Fred told her, stepping past her and leading her toward the far corner. "We put a sort of shield up around the pens to keep the fumes from the potions out, but we can still get through."

"That's brilliant." Anna told him, following behind him toward two decent-sized pens in the corner. In one pen was four Pygmy Puffs, two pink and two purple. Anna almost would've thought they were babies, they were a bit smaller than a Bludger. But then she looked into the next pen over. There were at least a dozen tiny Pygmy Puffs rolling around in the next pen, these about the size of Anna's fist.

"We decided the best way to handle Pygmy Puffs was to shrink a couple and change their colors. Then we decided to breed a few from there. They tend to have anywhere between two and five in a litter, and they grow pretty fast. These are only a week old, and they'll be full-grown in a couple weeks more. We wait until they're at least a month old before we sell them, though."

"They're so cute." Anna cooed, lowering herself to her knees to get a closer look at the babies.

"That's what we were aiming for." Fred commented, kneeling next to her. "Here," he reached into the pen and scooped a tiny, purple one off the ground. "you can hold one." He gently passed the tiny, wiggling ball of purple fluff into her hands.

She cradled it to her chest, tucking her chin to look down at it. "It's so sweet." she whispered as it peaked up at her with black eyes.

"Sometimes they nip, but overall, they're fairly friendly. And they can eat anything, so they're fairly easy to take care of." Fred explained.

Anna laughed, looking back down into the pen where the rest of the baby Pygmy Puffs, who were climbing and bouncing over each other at the gate closest to Anna in an attempt to get closer to her. "Oh my gosh, they're adorable. I bet they're super popular with the customers."

"Oh, yeah." Fred nodded his head with his eyebrows close to his hairline. "Easily one of our most popular products. We've got a long list of people who want one. Can't hardly breed them fast enough, that's why we're breeding more than one pair at a time."

Anna nodded, cuddling the baby one more time before putting it back in the pen with the others.

"You know, if you wanted to work here, you could be in charge of the Pygmy Puffs." Fred offered temptingly.

Anna tried fighting a huge grin, but couldn't quite manage that. "Tempting." she admitted.

"Okay, you could come out on the weekends or whenever you want to help us out." Fred suggested. "You don't have to work here full time, but we could always use an extra hand around here. If you want. And we'd obviously pay you and stuff."

Anna chewed her lip thoughtfully, but she already knew what she would say.

"I suppose it'd be fun." she admitted slowly, peaking over at Fred. He grinned widely at her answer.

"Great! When do you want to start?" he asked excitedly, scooting closer to her.

Anna laughed. "Well, when are we having our date night?"

"I was thinking Saturday night. Maybe you could meet me here around 5:30 or six. We close at five."

Anna hummed thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose I could come in and help for a while. Then I could leave about an hour or so before close to go home and get ready. Then, I'll meet you back here around 5:30?" she suggested.

Fred grinned. "I look forward to it."


	18. Love Life

Annabelle returned to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes that following Saturday around 10:30 with her dad, who wanted to see the shop. For only being open for about half an hour for the day, there was a decent-sized crowd of about two dozen already shopping.

Sirius let out a low whistle as he looked around, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "You weren't kidding. It is impressive."

"Told you so." Anna grinned, her eyes scanning the shop in search of the twins. Finally, she caught a glimpse of ginger hair above the other heads in the shop. "There's Fred. Come on." she told her dad, tugging on his sleeve before moving across the store.

"Morning." she said from behind him. Fred turned around and grinned at her.

"Good morning. Hi, Sirius." he added as Anna's father appeared at her shoulder. "Come to look around?"

"Well, Anna wouldn't shut up about how brilliant everything here is, so I thought I'd check it out. Remus wanted to come along, but he's, uh, doing some stuff for Dumbledore."

Fred nodded with a mildly-serious expression. The twins had joined the Order almost as soon as they left school, much to their mum's displeasure, and Anna was planning on officially becoming a member by the next meeting. Lately, Dumbledore had been having Remus doing more secret Order work, and they had no idea what it was he was doing.

"Anyway, I'm going to give my dad a quick tour, and then you can tell me what you want me to do." Anna told Fred, stretching up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before leading her father to the nearest display.

After about twenty minutes, Sirius had seen everything and was beyond impressed, but he needed to get going soon after because he had something to do. Anna gave him a quick hug, promising to be home by 4:30 to get ready for her date with Fred.

"Okay, what do you need me to do first?" Anna asked Fred, walking over to where he was behind the register.

"Well, George's in the backroom making products. He could use some help, if you want to do that. And the Pygmy Puffs might need their water changed." Fred told her with a grin.

Anna grinned in return. "Got it."

She turned and opened the door to the backroom and slipped inside, closing it behind her. Everything looked the same as the day before, but George was sitting on a stool, hunched over one of the worktables. At the click of the door closing, George turned and looked over his shoulder. He grinned at the sight of her.

"Hey. I was wondering when I'd see you today."

"Yeah, sorry. I've been here for a little while, but my dad wanted a quick tour. He just left; he said everything was brilliant by the way." she added, to which George beamed proudly. "Anyway, Fred sent me back here to help you and take care of the Pygmy Puffs."

"Perfect. You can start working on a batch of Pimple Vanisher." George told her, shoving a large, open book across the table to the open seat next to him. "It's on page 26."

"Thanks." Anna leaned over the book, flipping to the suggested page so she could skim the directions and the ingredient list.

XXX

"Whew." Anna sighed, wiping her hand across her forehead and straightening up from where she'd been bent over a cauldron most of the day. She'd made multiple potions and products throughout the day, as well as changing the Pygmy Puffs' water.

She glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the wall, seeing that it was about 4:15.

"I think I'm going to get going. Do you want me to feed the Pygmy Puffs quick before I go?" she asked Fred, who had taken George's place in the backroom a little while after lunch. Fred had told her that the Pygmy Puffs were fed two small meals a day, so they wouldn't get too bloated.

"Yes please." Fred cast her a quick glance with a smile. Anna returned it and approached the cupboard next to the Puffs' pens. She scooped some of the food mixture they'd thrown together into both food dishes in the two pens before tossing the scoop back into the bag.

"Alright, I'll get going, then. See you in about an hour." she told Fred, coming up behind him to kiss the top of his head.

"See you then!" Fred called just before she left the backroom. She waved at both Verity and George before leaving the shop and Apparating home.

At home, she showered, got dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a tight jumper, and made her dark brown hair straight. She had time to sit with Aslan and play with him for a little while before she left again to return to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. She walked in the front door of the shop to find George restocking the almost-empty shelves, a charmed broom sweeping the isles behind him.

"Back so soon?" George joked, looking over at her.

"I just missed you guys so much." she joked back, walking towards him and looking around the shop. He appeared to be the only person around beside her. "Where's Fred?"

"He just finished counting the till, and he's currently in the flat getting ready for your little date." George informed her with a grin.

"Do you happen to know where he's taking me?" Anna asked curiously. "He wouldn't tell me. I don't even know if I'm dressed right."

"Of course I know where he's taking you." George told her, pretending to be insulted. Then, he smirked. "Doesn't mean I'm going to tell you. And you're dressed fine. Honestly, you could wear rags and Freddie would still find you beautiful. He's smitten with you."

Anna blushed, shoving her hands into her jean pockets. "Oh, shut up, George."

"What? I'm just being honest!" George insisted, still grinning as he finished stocking up the Fanged Frisbees. "He needs to tell you that kind of stuff more often."

Anna opened her mouth to retort, but another voice spoke before she could.

"Yeah, I do."

Anna looked over her shoulder, already blushing at the comment. Fred grinned at her as he walked out of the backroom. He was wearing casual slacks and a black button-down with that green dragon-skin jacket.

"You look beautiful." Fred told her casually, wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her close. Anna rolled her eyes, but stepped closer and buried her face in his neck

"Thanks. You smell nice." she mumbled into his shoulder. Fred and George both laughed.

"Thanks?" Fred spoke in a more questioning tone. "Is it because I actually showered?"

Anna took in a deep breath through her nose, breathing in Fred's scent. It wasn't completely the scent she always smelled in Amortentia. She still caught an undertone of the scent of gunpowder and his usual woodsy scent, but there was a new, spicier scent that she hadn't smelt on him before. It was nice.

"I don't know. You smell different. Are you wearing cologne?" she finally asked, pulling away and staring up at him.

"Possibly." Fred admitted with a grin. "I take it you like it?"

Anna nodded, her eyebrows in her hairline. Fred laughed, leaning down and kissing her cheek.

"Good. Now, you ready to go?"

"Sure, if you tell me where we're going." Anna countered.

"It's nothing that special." Fred admitted. "But I think you'll like it. Come on. Bye Georgie!"

"Bye George!" Anna added as Fred lead her out of the shop.

"Bye! Have fun!" George called after them before the door swung shut behind them.

Fred took Anna's hand and they walked at a casual stroll up Diagon Alley. "So, if you don't mind, most of our date is just going to be here in Diagon Alley. Unless you end up suggesting something we can do later."

"Hmm. We'll see how you do, first." Anna decided lightly.

Fred ended up leading her to the Leaky Cauldron, and Anna couldn't help smiling. Sure, it was nothing fancy, but that's what she wanted.

"Hey, Tom." Fred greeted as he entered behind Anna after holding the door open for her.

"Ah, hello Mr. Weasley." Tom, the old, bald innkeeper called from the bar. "I'll be right with you both."

"Thanks." Fred called back. Anna headed toward a table near the far wall and took a seat. Fred sat across from her, passing her a menu while grabbing one for himself.

"So, apart from spending the day working with your favorite people in the whole world, what did you do today?" Fred asked curiously, glancing up at Anna from his menu.

Anna grinned. "Well, I obviously had breakfast with my parents and Aslan, who was fussy this morning and threw his oatmeal at my dad's head."

Fred snorted, covering his mouth with his menu. Anna smiled widely at the memory of oatmeal in her dad's hair and dripping down his face and nose. He'd cleaned it up with a wave of his wand, but it had been a grand source of amusement to Anna and Aslan.

"And after I got ready for our date, I had some spare time to play with Aslan. He's mostly able to walk on his own. And he likes to grab whatever he can to pull himself up, including long hair." Anna stated pointedly, lifting a piece of her own dark hair. Fred, again, laughed at her.

"Would you two like anything to drink?" Tom asked, approaching their table.

They both asked for butterbeers, and when Tom came back a second time, Anna ordered a Steak and kidney pie, while Fred ordered a Roast beef.

"So, I take it you haven't heard back from the Ministry about your job." Fred guessed once the innkeeper left them again.

Anna looked down into her frothy mug of cold butterbeer. "No. But my mum said that's normal. It could take them as long as a few weeks to get back to me, and I only sent my application in a few days ago."

"True. I'm sure you'll hear back within the next week." Fred reassured her.

"Yeah, I know." Anna smiled slightly. "Anyway, what are we doing after dinner? Or is this all you had planned?"

"I was thinking dessert at Fortescue's. Then maybe we can relax at the flat. George has plans to meet up with Katie right about now," he explained with a glance down at his wristwatch, "so we'll have the place to ourselves."

Anna nodded with a slight smile, though her brows furrowed slightly with worry.

Fred understood her expression and gave her a calming smile. "Anna, relax. We're waiting until marriage, remember?"

Anna ducked her head sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry."

"Don't be. I'm sure anyone would suspect that's what we'd do with a flat to ourselves." Fred guessed, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and making Anna laugh.

They spent the next hour eating and talking about anything and everything that came to mind. Anna told him about the last few days at school and riding back across the lake in the boats.

"I almost wish I could've stuck around just to ride those boats back across the lake." Fred noted with a grin.

They stuck around for about an hour after their plates had been scraped clean before heading to Fred's next planned stop.

"I can buy my own ice cream, you know." Anna pointed out as Fred paid for their ice cream at Fortescue's.

"I know, but this is a date. As the man in this relationship, I am paying for your food." Fred pointed out, passing Anna her bowl of peanut butter and strawberry ice cream. "Besides, this is me treating you, remember? Because business is going good."

She rolled her eyes, but smiled and followed him to a table in the corner. Looking out the window, she couldn't help noticing how different Diagon Alley looked. Sure, it looked the same, to an extent. But it _felt_ different. It felt eerie, and a slight chilly mist had begun to form as the evening wore on. And there weren't as many people walking around.

"Feels weird, doesn't it?" Fred asked, and when Anna looked at him sitting across from her, he was also looking out the window. "This place doesn't seem as cheery as it used to be."

"I guess that's what happens when a war's looming on the horizon." Anna admitted quietly, looking down at her bowl of ice cream.

There was a moment of silence before Fred suddenly reached across the table. He dabbed his spoon against the tip of Anna's nose, leaving some chocolate ice cream there. Anna gaped at him, while he just smiled in return.

"You jerk." she laughed, grabbing a napkin off the table to wipe her nose clean.

"It got you to laugh, didn't it?" Fred returned, taking another bite of his ice cream.

XXX

Fred and Anna's date ended at Fred and George's flat, where they cuddled in front of the fire until about 10:30 before Anna Flooed home for the night. Sunday morning dawned a little too early, in Anna's opinion, when she was woken by a light tapping against her window.

Blinking her eyes open, Anna rolled onto her back and stretched her arms up over her head. She relaxed, laying there for a few moments to continue waking up. Finally, she looked over at her window and saw a Brown owl perched on her window sill. Pushing her covers off, Anna swung her legs over the side of her bed and crossed the room to the window. She pushed it open, letting the owl fly into her room.

Ariel hooted and fluffed her feathers moodily from her perch on the small, smooth tree in the corner of the room.

"Oh, be nice." Anna scolded her owl as she approached the Brown owl that had perched on her headboard. "He won't be here long."

She tried to force down her nerves when she untied the small envelope from the owl's leg. She could see the Ministry crest hanging from the owl's neck, and the stamp on the envelope. Her hands shook as she pulled away with the envelope in her grasp, not even noticing the owl swoop back out her window.

Taking a deep breath, Anna flipped the envelope open, pulled out the parchment inside, and slowly unfolded it to read the contents:

' _Dear Ms. Black;_

 _We have gone over your application and résumé for a job in the Investigation Department. Due to your accomplishments, as well as a glowing letter of recommendation from Professor Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, we have decided to offer you a starting position in the Investigation Department. Please come to my office on Level 2 of the Ministry of Magic this Monday at 8:30 AM, so that we may discuss your employment in this department. If this time does not work with your schedule, please send a response in a timely manner._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Fergus Johansson_

 _Director_

 _Investigation Department_

 _Subdivision Auror Office_

 _Ministry of Magic_

 _London_

Anna stared down at the letter for a long time, maybe an hour for all she knew, before she felt talons in her skin and a light weight on her right shoulder. She jerked out of her daze and glanced over at Ariel, who was tilting her head curiously as only an owl could. Anna lifted one shaking hand to pet her owl's head lightly before looking back down at her letter.

"I don't believe it." she breathed, more to herself than her owl. "I got the job."

A loud banging on her bedroom door jerked her out of her thoughts, causing Ariel to hoot in irritation and fly back to her perch.

"Anna, are you up yet?" her mother called through the door. "You can't sleep the day away."

"Mum!" Anna exclaimed, turning and bolting across her bedroom and yanking her door open, one hand still clutching her letter.

"What?" Wren had frozen in place, only a couple feet from her daughter's bedroom door. Her green eyes were wide and worried as she stared at her daughter. She was still in her bathrobe, as it was Sunday and her day off.

"Look!" Anna exclaimed, a smile growing on her face as she thrust the letter in her mother's face. Wren jerked back for a second before quickly taking the letter from her daughter, lowering it slightly, and reading it. As her eyes scanned back and forth over the letter, a smile stretched over her cheeks.

"Oh, Anna, this is wonderful!" Wren exclaimed, looking up at Anna again before pulling her into a tight hug.

"What'd I miss?" Wren and Anna pulled away to see Sirius standing in the doorway to Aslan's room, holding the nearly-one-year-old baby on his hip.

"I got the job!" Anna shouted, beaming at her dad.

Sirius grinned widely in return, stepping into the hallway to wrap his free arm around his daughter.

"Congratulations! I knew you'd get it!"

"We'll have to have a celebratory dinner at the meeting tonight." Wren decided when father and daughter pulled away. She gently took her son from her husband's arms and looked back at her daughter, though she looked troubled now. "Are you sure you want to join the Order?" she asked hesitantly.

"Mum, I want to be able to help." Anna reminded her mother gently. "If I can do just little jobs that can help, I want to. I may not want to do anything too crazy, but…I want to be able to help if I can."

Wren sighed and gave her daughter a small smile. "Alright. I understand. Now, let's go have some breakfast. This calls for chocolate chip pancakes."

XXX

Later that evening, around 5:00, Anna Apparated with her parents and Aslan, landing across the street from a familiar old house. They carefully looked around before crossing the street and going up the front steps. Sirius knocked on the door, and after a few moments it creaked open and Arthur's eye peaked out at them.

"Ah, Sirius." Arthur opened the door a bit wider, smiling at them all. "Glad you could all make it. We're still waiting for a few more people, and Molly's in the kitchen getting a start on dinner preparations."

"I'll go help her." Wren decided, passing Aslan to Sirius before heading for the kitchen.

"Fred and George aren't here yet, are they?" Anna asked, excited to tell them about her new job."

"Not yet. Their shop closes at five, so it shouldn't be too much longer." Arthur told her, heading for the dining room. Sirius followed him with Aslan, while Anna headed for the kitchen. As soon as she pushed the door open, Wren and Molly stopped whispering and turned to look at her. Anna didn't have to guess what they were talking about; Molly's expression said it all.

"Oh, Anna! Congratulations! Wren just told me you got the job!" Molly exclaimed happily, hurrying across the room and yanking Anna into a tight hug. The breath was knocked out of her, but she managed to hug her back anyway. After a few moments, Molly pulled away, though she still held Anna by her shoulders. "Have you told Fred yet?"

Anna shook her head. "No, just my parents. I was hoping to tell Fred and George when they get here for the meeting."

Just as she said that, they barely heard a loud knocking from the front door. Anna turned and hurried back the way she'd come, but her dad still beat her in opening the door.

Fred and George entered, both nodding to Sirius in greeting. Anna stood back, waiting for them to fully enter the house while she bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet. Fred and George saw her at the same time as Sirius closed the front door.

"What're you so excited about?" George asked, grinning in amusement.

"I got a special letter this morning." she announced temptingly as the twins approached her, stopping in front of her.

"Oh?" Fred asked, raising an eyebrow.

Anna bit her lip on an excited grin for a moment before she announced, "I got the job."

"What?!" Fred and George exclaimed, beaming at her. She was instantly pulled into a group hug by both twins and laughed, wrapping an arm around each of their necks.

"I told you you'd get it!" Fred exclaimed, finally releasing her so she could step away from them. "When do you start?"

"I have to go in tomorrow morning to discuss it with my future boss. I'm not sure if I'll officially start tomorrow. I'll write to let you both know as soon as I can." Anna assured them.

"You better." George told her before moving past her to the dining room, where Sirius had disappeared to again.

"You nervous?" Fred asked when his twin had left.

"Hmm." Anna shrugged, stuffing her hands into her jean pockets. "A bit." she admitted.

"You'll be fine." Fred told her, wrapping an arm around her lower back and pulling her close. She pulled her hands from her pockets and wrapped them around him in a hug, resting her head on his chest. "It's something you're passionate about. You'll be brilliant at it."

"I guess. I'm kinda curious though…"

"About what?"

"He said in the letter that McGonagall wrote a 'glowing letter of recommendation'… I just wish I knew what she said."

Fred chuckled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

Within another fifteen minutes, everyone was gathering in the kitchen for the meeting. Anna wasn't quite sure where to sit with all the people who were in the room. It was clear not everyone in the Order was present, but there were still a lot of people. Dumbledore was sitting at the head of the table, Moody standing behind him with his magical eye zipping about. Kingsley and Sirius were sitting on either side of Dumbledore, and Wren was leaving the room with Aslan, probably so the baby wouldn't disturb the meeting. Bill was sitting next to Sirius and Arthur was sitting between Kingsley and Molly. Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge, and Mundungus were seated down one side of the table. George sat at the other end of the table from Dumbledore, and Fred sat in a seat next to him. Seeing Anna standing awkwardly, he pulled out the seat between him and Tonks. Anna smiled gratefully and sat down, turning to face Dumbledore.

"Thank you all for coming." Dumbledore told them all. "The first thing I'd like to address is a possible new recruit to our cause. Ms. Black?" Dumbledore turned to look down the table at Anna, and everyone followed his gaze expectantly. "Are you sure you'd like to join the Order of the Phoenix?"

Anna swallowed a nervous lump in her throat before answering, "Yes, I would." she said with a nod.

Dumbledore nodded once in return. "Good. Then, it's official. Annabelle Black is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Welcome. Now, I'd like to give a few updates." he continued, addressing the whole table after a brief spattering of applause, "Remus Lupin will be away quite frequently for the foreseeable future, as I've assigned him to be a spy within Fenrir Greyback's werewolf pack. This is in the hope of, not only gaining inside information, but also seeing if he can convince any werewolves to switch to our side."

Anna felt a sick bile rise in her throat at the thought of Remus surrounded by violent, dangerous werewolves who would kill without a second thought. Then, her eyes caught her cousin in the seat next to her. Dora had turned her head to glare down at the tabletop, her fists clenched. Her face was pale and her eyes red, as if she were trying not to cry.

"How long will he be there?" Kingsley asked.

"I've asked he check in at least every week. So he should check in within the next four days." Dumbledore answered.

"And if he doesn't?" Anna found herself asking quietly.

Dumbledore met her eyes calmly for a moment. "If he doesn't contact me for two weeks straight, I shall take action to check on his condition."

Somehow, that didn't put Anna at ease, and she could tell Dora felt the same by the way her fists tightened further and her brows lowered more over her eyes.

"Is there anything else anyone would like to discuss before we move onto other matters?" Dumbledore asked the group.

"What about the Minister?" Bill asked. "People have been calling for Fudge's resignation since it was announced that You-Know-Who was really back. He surely can't last much longer in office, can he?"

"Not from what I've heard." Kingsley admitted. "Many are speculating he won't last longer than another week. I give him five days, tops."

"Are there any guesses on who his replacement will be?" Sirius asked.

"A few possibilities have been mentioned." Kingsley answered. "Though the most popular is Rufus Scrimgeour, the Head of the Auror office."

"Hmm." Dumbledore hummed thoughtfully. "I know Scrimgeour. He has the potential to be a decent Minister. Of course, we'll just have to wait and see."

"You mentioned wanting to have a few people guarding Hogwarts this coming school year." Diggle pointed out.

"So I did." Dumbledore nodded. "Are there any particular volunteers for that job when the time comes?"

Dora quickly raised her hand, as did Bill and a few of the others. Dumbledore nodded once as his eyes swept the group.

"Good. We'll discuss more details at a future meeting. Now, there's one last thing I'd like to bring up. Ms. Black?"

Anna started at being addressed, and a few of the others looked at her in confusion as well. "Um,…yes?"

"There's a few things I'd like to ask of you. Your father mentioned you got a job in the Investigation Department?"

"Um, yes, I'm going in tomorrow morning to discuss the details with my boss." Anna admitted, unsure about where this was going.

"I'm not asking you to do anything specific in your new job, but it would offer a few possibilities. For example, should an Order member come up in a case, perhaps you could…ensure they aren't wrongly convicted while doing work for the Order."

Anna thought for a moment. "Well,…yeah, I suppose I could do that." she answered.

"And another thing, rather unrelated. I was wondering how you'd feel if I asked you to do some more…important work for the Order."

"Important?" Anna repeated, unsure what that meant, though it was making her nervous.

"Dumbledore, what are you getting at?" Sirius asked abruptly.

"Yes, Anna shouldn't be given any dangerous missions. She's only a child." Molly added.

"I won't make Annabelle do anything she's not comfortable with." Dumbledore assured both of them. "However, I'm sure there are a few jobs that could…benefit from our current collection of metamorphmagi."

Everyone glanced among themselves before looking between Anna and Tonks, who looked at each other.

"What kind of jobs?" Tonks asked, looking once again at Dumbledore.

"I think what he's getting at," Bill put in, "is that it would be pretty easy for you two to be spies, given you can change your appearances at will. We wouldn't have to worry about polyjuice or disguises."

"What? Like infiltrate the Death Eaters?" George asked. Anna felt her heart stop at the suggestion. There was _no way_ she could pull something like that off!

"Nothing like that, I assure you!" Dumbledore assured them, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "We already have someone among the Death Eaters, and I wouldn't dream of putting Ms. Black in that situation. I'm not sure what I would have you do, yet," he added to Anna, "but would you be willing to consider doing something like that?"

Anna's mouth opened, but she merely gaped for a few moments. She glanced at Dora, then at her dad, Arthur, Molly, and finally looked back at Fred and George. Everyone was watching her expectantly, but with relatively blank expressions, leaving the decision completely up to her. Then, Fred reached over and rested his hand over hers, giving her a soft expression even though he didn't smile. Anna understood the look easily: he was leaving the choice up to her, and would support her no matter what.

Taking a deep breath, Anna turned back to look at Dumbledore, who was waiting patiently. "I'd be willing to consider whatever mission you ask of me." she finally answered slowly, choosing her words carefully.

Dumbledore smiled at her, as did a few of the other Order members. She noticed Molly didn't look happy, and her dad gave her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, but no one protested her decision.

"Thank you, Ms. Black. With that, if there are no topics to discuss…" Dumbledore paused and glanced around the table, but when no one spoke up, he finished, "we'll draw this meeting to a close."

Everyone slowly began to stand up.

"Anyone who'd like to stay for dinner is welcome." Molly announced, approaching the counter and waving her wand, causing the stove to turn on and a metal spoon begin mixing something in a large pot already on the stove.

"I'll go tell Wren the meeting's over." Sirius announced, heading for the door.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Anna asked Dora as they both stood up.

Tonks looked uncertain for a moment. "Well, I should really be getting home…"

"Tonks, you live alone in a flat across town." Molly spoke from across the room, not even turning to look at the two girls. "You're staying for dinner."

Anna shrugged at Tonks with a playful smile. "The boss has spoken." she joked. Tonks smiled, but it was obviously fake. Anna's smile fell again. "How about we go catch up somewhere before dinner? I feel like I haven't spoken to you in ages!"

A slightly-more real smile spread over Tonks' cheeks and she followed Anna up the stairs to the entryway. From there they went up a couple more flights of stairs before sitting on the steps. Anna sat a step below Tonks, and they both turned sideways to lean back against the opposite walls, facing each other.

"So, how've you been?" Anna asked.

"Fine. Between being an Auror and working for the Order, I've been pretty busy." Tonks answered.

"Mhm." Anna nodded, her eyes fixed firmly on her cousin's expression. "Have you heard from Remus recently?"

Tonks stiffened, her eyes fixed downward on her shoes. "No. Why would I have heard from Remus?" she asked quietly. "Sirius is more likely to hear from him."

"I suppose. I just noticed you seemed particularly upset when Dumbledore mentioned Remus's mission." Anna mentioned carefully.

Tonks took a deep breath before lifting her dark eyes and looking up into Anna's gray ones.

"Well,…obviously I hate this mission. It's really dangerous. If Remus isn't careful, he could get himself hurt, or worse."

Anna tilted her head slightly. "I didn't know you were very close with Remus. And anyway, Remus is really levelheaded. He'll be careful."

Tonks clenched her teeth and looked away again, down the stairs.

"Alright, Dora, what else is it?" Anna asked, knowing her cousin wasn't telling her everything.

Tonks sighed sadly, looking down at her lap and picking at a stray thread in her ripped leggings. "Remus took this mission to avoid me."

Anna stared at her, completely dumbfounded for a good ten seconds. "What?" she asked. "Why would he do that?"

Tonks swallowed. "Um,…because I told him I love him?" she answered in a questioning tone.

"Wait-WHAT?!" Anna exclaimed, sitting up straight in shock. "You what? Since when? What did I miss?" she demanded quickly.

Tonks forced a small, sad smile as she looked up at Anna. "A little while, now. And he loves me, too. I know he does; he's admitted it. He's just scared of hurting me or passing on his Lycanthropy to our children."

"Children?" Anna repeated, instinctively lowering her eyes to her cousin's stomach, which was covered by her leather jacket and loose shirt.

"I'm not pregnant." Tonks told her, rolling her eyes. "Remus won't hardly touch me." she grumbled the last sentence bitterly.

Anna looked at her quietly, feeling horrible. "I'm a rubbish cousin." she stated bluntly. "I should've noticed something was going on."

"Come on." Tonks rolled her eyes again at her cousin. "You've been away at school most of the time, dealing with Umbridge and the twins' shop. The last we actually spoke was in January, before you went back to school. And that time was spent worrying about Arthur and everything. There're more important things to worry about now than my love life."

"Sure, but your love life is much more fun to talk about." Anna countered teasingly. "When, exactly, did all of this happen?"

Tonks shrugged slightly, leaning her head back against the wall and looking up. "Well,…I've thought he was attractive in a distinguished way since I met him last summer. And he was always staying here with Sirius, and when I would pop in, we'd always talk about one thing or another, and…things just sort of went from there."

Anna hummed quietly, leaning her head back against the wall. "Well,…I'm sure things will work out for the best, Dora."

XXX

Anna followed the directions Mr. Johansson, the Director of the Investigation Department, gave her after they spoke for less than an hour in his office. She soon found herself entering a large room with dozens of open cubicles. She glanced around before she saw a nameplate on one of the cubicles nearest to her. Approaching it, she peaked inside and saw a woman only a few years older than her at most. She was writing away on a sheet of parchment with a long quill, and her red-brown hair was pulled up in a bun.

Swallowing her nerves, Anna knocked lightly on the wall of the cubicle. The woman's eyes shot up to stare up at her, looking surprised.

"Oh, hello." the woman told her, standing up and holding a hand out. "You must be Annabelle. I'm Audrey Reed."

"It's nice to meet you." Anna returned, shaking Audrey's hand. "Mr. Johansson told me to find you."

"Ah, yes. Your first day of training." Audrey clapped her hands once before turning back to her desk. "I have a few cases here that we're going to work through together until you get the idea of what you're supposed to do. And I believe tomorrow you'll be shown your own cubicle and we'll go from there. Sound good?"

"Yeah." Anna answered with a smile that was part excited, part nervous. Audrey waved her hand to a second chair at the desk of her cubicle and Anna sat there with her new coworker at her side, ready to learn how to do her new job.


	19. Family Visit

"She's so annoying!" Ginny whined in a low whisper one Friday evening.

Annabelle muffled a snort, sticking a biscuit in her mouth to cover up the sound.

Fleur Delacour had just left the youngest Weasley's bedroom, where Ginny, Anna, and Hermione were eating Molly's biscuits and tea. She had mainly been stopping by to ask Hermione when Harry would be arriving for the summer, but it was enough to set the two younger girls into a mild fit as soon as she left the room.

Ever since Bill proposed to Fleur at the beginning of summer, she had been staying at the Burrow. This was due to Bill having to work overtime at Gringotts, and so Fleur could get to know some of the other Weasleys.

Of course, as amusing as Anna found it that Ginny, Hermione, _and_ Molly hated Fleur, she wouldn't lie and say she enjoyed the French woman's company any. Anytime the half-Veela French woman was in a room, nearly every guy in the vicinity stared or tripped over themselves to get her attention. Thankfully, Fred didn't ogle her, at least when Anna was in the room. She didn't think she could take seeing Fred checking out another woman.

Of course, Fleur never really encouraged the attention she got from men. She seemed to be as loyal to Bill as any woman should be. However, she did have this arrogant attitude, always talking about how much better France was.

"Anyway," Hermione muffled her laughter to speak again, "Anna, how have your first couple weeks of work been?"

"It's actually been really great, but busy." Anna admitted. "You know, with everyone freaking out about Voldemort returning, and when Amelia Bones was killed a few days ago. A lot of people left work, or didn't even show up, when news of that got out."

By halfway through July, the murder of Amelia Bones, possibly by the hands of Voldemort himself, was far from the only thing to happen. Death Eaters and dementors were running rampant. A chilly mist had permanently blanketed the wizarding world, which apparently was being caused by dementors breeding. Anna didn't even know dementors could breed.

Death Eaters had also caused a bridge to collapse, killing dozens of muggles and sending cars into the river below. There had also been news of muggles murdered in their homes.

"I suppose that's understandable." Hermione murmured.

"On a different note, did you do anything on your birthday? That was this week, wasn't it?" Ginny asked.

"Yes." Anna laughed. "My parents woke me up by putting Aslan on my face. Not exactly the wake up I would've preferred. I also got a brief note from Fred that morning wishing me a happy birthday. Fred also," Anna cut off to chuckle again, a blush spreading over her cheeks, "sent flowers to my work for everyone on Level two to see."

Ginny and Hermione awed, though they giggled a bit, too.

"Finally, the day ended with dinner with my family, and my mum made apple pie for dessert. And I got a short letter from Remus, since he couldn't visit with the mission he's on."

"Sounds like a good birthday." Ginny summed up, grabbing another biscuit off the plate.

"It was a good birthday." Anna agreed with a soft smile.

XXX

Anna sighed as she stepped out of the bathroom at home, running her hand through her wet hair. She was dressed in her pajamas and bathrobe and heading for her bedroom to finish folding her laundry her mother had dropped off earlier.

"Harry!"

Anna paused at the sound of her parents' mingled voices from downstairs. After barely a second, she spun on her bare heel and raced down the stairs, spinning around the corner at the bottom to stare into the living room.

There was a small pile of luggage by the door, Hedwig the Snowy Owl in her cage perched on top of the pile. And right in front of the front door, Sirius was hugging a familiar, messy-haired boy with glasses while Wren stood eagerly by them, awaiting her turn.

"Harry! I didn't know you were coming tonight." Anna exclaimed, hurrying over to join her parents in greeting her godbrother.

"Yeah, Dumbledore just dropped me off." Harry answered as he finally released Sirius to accept Wren's motherly hug.

"He mentioned he'd be picking you up from your aunt and uncle any day now." Sirius noted as Harry released Wren and gave Anna a hug, too. "Did he really pick you up this late?" he added with a glance at the clock on the wall. It was just around 9:00 at night.

"Well, no. He took me on a-a mission of sorts." Harry admitted.

"An Order mission?" Anna asked, her eyes wide.

"Not really. At least, I don't think so." Harry admitted. "He needed my help to convince someone to be a professor at Hogwarts."

"The new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor?" Anna guessed, her head tilting slightly.

"No, I guess not." Harry shook his head. "It sounds like Snape's finally got that position. It was some guy named Slughorn. He's going to be the Potions teacher."

"Oh, I remember Slughorn." Wren spoke up, moving around everyone to pick up Aslan, who was half-asleep on the living room floor with his blanket held tightly in one arm. "He was our Potions professor, remember, Sirius?"

"Of course I remember that dolt." Sirius answered, rolling his eyes and stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. "Head of Slytherin House, and made obvious favorites. Don't get me wrong," he added, turning to Harry again, "he was decent enough, for a Slytherin. But he had what he called, the 'Slug Club', which was made up of all his favorite students. Your mother was in it, so it wasn't completely awful. Wouldn't be surprised if he tries to get you to join, too."

"Are you sure you're not just jealous that you and James were never asked to join the Slug Club?" Wren asked teasingly, rocking Aslan gently against her chest.

Sirius narrowed his eyes playfully at her. "You weren't either, as I recall. Must've been a blow to your ego, being a Ravenclaw, and all."

Wren rolled her eyes, turning to head for the stairs. "My ego wasn't as big as yours." she retorted. She paused at the bottom of the stairs to look back at the others. "Anna, could you show Harry to your room? Aslan would never let you get a nights sleep if you slept in there with him." she added to Harry. "He'd be too excited and would want to play all night."

Harry chuckled while Anna nodded. "Sure thing, Mum. Come on." she added to Harry. Anna picked up Hedwig's cage while Sirius waved his wand, causing the rest of Harry's luggage to disappear. When the small group arrived at Anna's bedroom, the luggage was already in a small pile by the far wall.

Wren returned after seemingly putting Aslan to bed. "You must be hungry, running around all day with Dumbledore." she told Harry. "Come on downstairs and I'll make you something to eat. Anna and Sirius can set up the room so you'll have a place to sleep."

Harry blushed while Sirius muttered an obedient, "Yes, love."

Anna snorted, moving into the room and grabbing her wand from her bedside table. She examined her bed and the remaining space in the room.

"We could shrink my bed to a twin size and make a second one. There'd be enough room for that, right?" she suggested, glancing at her father.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, that'd work." He waved his wand once, which shrunk Anna's bed, then a second time, which made a second bed appear with the bedside table between them.

Sirius Transfigured a small dresser, which they sat next to Anna's, and they let both Hedwig and Ariel out for a flight and hunt, leaving the window open so they could return when they fancied.

Within an hour, Harry was done eating the food Wren made him and changed into some pajamas. Wren insisted it was late and he could leave unpacking for the morning.

Anna settled down in her now-smaller bed, placing her wand on the bedside table. Harry, who'd finished changing and getting ready for bed in the bathroom across the hall, put his glasses and wand near hers.

"Well, I know I'm not as great of a roommate as Ron," Anna said quietly as she turned off the light with a last flick of her wand, "but I swear I don't snore."

Harry laughed quietly before they settled down for the night.

XXX

The last day of July was a late evening at work for Anna. She stayed an extra hour at work, following a trail of evidence for a case she'd been assigned. She stopped at home for a shower and then headed for the Burrow just in time to join everyone there for Harry's birthday dinner. She was delighted to see Remus there, and was sure to give him an enthusiastic hug.

She was shocked to see Hermione with a nice, dark black eye, and demanded to know who did it. Of course, she blushed and tried not to laugh when Hermione explained that she picked up one of the twins' Punching Telescopes. Anna had told Fred and George to clear all that stuff out of their old room, lest someone stumble upon them. They were lucky it wasn't their mother who'd picked up one of those telescopes.

Everyone also took the opportunity to spread some of the latest gossip, some of which Anna had already heard.

Florean Fortescue, the owner of Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, had apparently been dragged off, seemingly by Death Eaters. His shop was left trashed, showing signs of a struggle. Ollivander had also gone missing, but no one knew for sure if he'd been taken or if he went willingly. Anna had heard about it all the previous Sunday afternoon when she went to the twins' shop to work for the day. Other store owners had left, as well, leaving many stores in Diagon Alley boarded up and abandoned.

During the few short hours Anna was at the Burrow with everyone, she thought it was adorably funny that Aslan practically refused to be parted from Harry. There were a few times he wanted Remus to hold him, but he mainly remained in Harry's arms until he fell asleep, allowing Harry to carefully pass him to Wren. Despite the fact that Aslan was probably getting at least a little heavy, Harry didn't seem to mind holding him at all.

At the end of the night, when everyone left the Burrow to go to their own homes, Anna was thrilled that Remus would be joining them for a few days.

"Harry!" Anna called out the next morning. She was in the kitchen, having been in the middle of eating a quick breakfast before she headed out to work. "Post for you!"

Harry came stumbling into the kitchen, his glasses were pushed up to his forehead as he rubbed one eye with his fist. His black hair was messier than normal and he was still in his large, ragged pajamas. Anna held out the letter that an owl had just dropped off before flying back out the window. Harry took it from her, straightening his glasses as they fell back over his eyes. He looked at the letter for a moment before ripping into it. Anna guessed by the Hogwarts crest on the front that it was his booklist for the year.

As Anna turned back to her breakfast of toast and tea on the table she heard a dull thump as something hit the kitchen table. She looked up and saw a familiar silver badge laying on the table directly under Harry's opened letter. She'd seen that same badge on a few other people; Charlie, Oliver Wood, and Angelina.

A smile started tugging at her lips as she looked up at Harry's face. He was staring down at the badge, his expression blank. Then, his eyes stretched wide and his lips parted in shock. One of his hands lowered shakily to pick the badge up off the table and Anna caught a glimpse of a red letter 'C' on the front.

"I-I'm the Quidditch Captain." Harry muttered quietly. He looked up and stared at Anna, his green eyes wide. "I'm the Quidditch Captain." he repeated, sounding completely baffled.

"Congratulations." Anna told him with a grin. She wasn't too surprised Harry had been made Captain. The only people it could've been were him and Katie, really. Katie would've been a fine Captain, but Harry was the obvious choice. "And since I'm guessing your booklist is in there, too, you may want to tell my mum. Her and Molly want to plan a day to take all you youngsters to Diagon Alley to get your books and things, and visit the twins' shop." she added teasingly.

"Sure. Right." Harry mumbled, still looking baffled as he left the room with his letter and new badge.

XXX

"Hi Audrey." Anna greeted her coworker happily as she walked out of her cubicle, nearly running into the other witch, whose cubicle was right across the small walkway from Anna's.

"Hi, Anna. Done for the day?" Audrey greeted her, pulling a small purse over her shoulder as they both headed for the door.

"Barely." Anna admitted with a laugh. "I thought for sure I'd be here till midnight working on this latest case, but I managed to get a lead a little while ago and finish up. Good thing, too. I've got a big day tomorrow and I'd like a few hours of sleep."

"I know just what you mean." Audrey laughed tiredly. "I couldn't quite finish up my latest case, but I didn't want to stay too late, so I'm taking it home to work on over the weekend."

"Good idea." Anna commented, even though she knew it would never work for her. Her weekends tended to be busy with the joke shop, hanging out with the twins, family events, and sometimes Order stuff.

The two coworkers traveled up to the Atrium at Level Eight, where they could take separate fireplaces out of the Ministry.

As they approached the glowing, green light of the fireplaces, Audrey looked at Anna.

"Well, my boyfriend's over there waiting for me. I'll see you on Monday."

"Okay, have a good weekend." Anna returned with a smile. She watched Audrey head for a fireplace further down the room, where a few wizards were standing and talking. Anna saw Audrey approach one of the wizards, who barely paused to smile at her before continuing his conversation.

Anna blinked, staring in brief surprise. "Percy?" she whispered to herself. No, surely Audrey wasn't dating Percy Weasley. Maybe it was one of the other wizards in the group she was referring to.

But as she paused to watch, the other two wizards in the group left in a flash of green in the fireplace. Percy looked just the same as the last time Anna had seen him. He was tall and thin with the trademark Weasley-red hair. He was still wearing his same horn-rimmed glasses, but he was wearing what looked like nice, new robes. He was also carrying himself tall with his typical arrogant-like attitude, but when he turned to greet Audrey, Anna noticed he looked tired and worn out.

He offered his elbow to Audrey, who took it, and the couple stepped into the fireplace, disappearing in a flash of green flames.

XXX

The next day, Anna got to sleep in until 9:00 before getting up and getting ready. She picked up coffee and breakfast before heading to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes for the day. Due to a slight line-up outside the front door, Anna went around to the backdoor, using her key to open it and enter the backroom.

George looked up from where he was working on something at the table, instantly grinning at the sight of her. "Hey, Anna. How was your week?"

"Busy." she sighed heavily, approaching the table. She took one of the to-go cups from the carrier she held and placed it next to him. "I come bearing coffee and breakfast." she added, also taking a container out of the paper bag she was carrying and placing it next to the coffee.

"Yes!" George exclaimed, instantly grabbing the coffee and taking a sip. "I knew there was a reason you're my favorite future sister-in-law." he added teasingly.

Anna reached over and smacked the back of his head, trying to will her blush away. "Shut up. That's not something you say. And I would've thought Fleur would be your favorite. She seems to be all the Weasley men's favorite."

"Aw. Are you jealous?" George teased lightly, popping open his container to reveal a steaming heap of scrambled eggs and a few strips of bacon.

"Of course not." Anna retorted.

"Good. 'Cause you have no reason to be. Fred thinks the world of you. The whole family does, really. Mum would be over the moon to be planning your and Fred's wedding instead of Bill and Fleur's." George commented casually, digging a fork out of the bag Anna had set on the table.

Anna took a deep breath, rolling her eyes. "Thank you. Now drop it."

George laughed, pulling out a fork and looking up at her. "Alright, alright. I'll drop it. Now, Fred's out front getting stuff ready if you want to take him his coffee and food. Well, probably leave the food back here and let him know it's here. We open in…ten minutes." George told her with a glance at his wristwatch.

"Okay." Anna moved the rest of the food farther down the table away from George, in case he tried to steal the rest, and headed for the door. She cracked it open and stuck her head out to scan the still-empty shop. She could see the crowd outside the front door. Her eyes scanned the shop until she caught a glimpse of Fred around one of the isles.

Quietly, Anna hurried across the store and peaked around the corner into the isle to see Fred restocking the shelves with a wave of his wand. Creeping up behind him, Anna carefully slipped her arms around Fred's middle from behind, hugging him and laying her head on his back.

Fred chuckled quietly, and Anna felt it through his back against her cheek. His hand wrapped gently around her forearm, his thumb rubbing her skin.

"Good morning."

Anna smiled, pulling away so Fred could turn around and face her. "Morning. I brought coffee and breakfast. It's in the backroom."

Fred glanced down at his wristwatch. "I may have a few minutes to eat something." With that, he began ushering her toward the backroom, making her laugh. They hurried across the shop and entered the backroom, where George was already halfway done with his food.

"I can watch the front with Verity when she gets here, since I'm almost done eating." George mumbled with his mouth full. "You can eat and work back here for a while."

"Sure, but I'll come up front within the first hour. Judging by the crowd already out front, we're in for a hectic day." Fred commented, popping open his own container of food.

"If you guys need me up front, just let me know." Anna told them, dumping a scoop of food into the Pygmy Puffs' food dishes. The little puff balls instantly swarmed the dishes. "Otherwise I'll just get stuff done back here. You have a list of things I need to work on?" she added the last question at George.

With his mouth full again, George just nodded and pushed a sheet of parchment across the table in her direction.

"Do you know what time the family and everyone is stopping by?" Fred asked curiously before taking a heaping bite of eggs.

"Not sure." Anna admitted. "I think they need to buy their school supplies first, but after that, I'm not sure."

The back door that lead to outside opened and Verity hurried in. "Sorry I'm running late." she panted, seeming out of breath.

"It's fine. We're due to open in…" George checked his watch, "one minute." He clapped his hands together and packed up his now-empty breakfast container and coffee cup. "Let's get out there. You two finish your breakfast." George told Anna and Fred before leading Verity into the main part of the shop and closing the door behind him.

"Thanks again for getting us breakfast." Fred told her after swallowing a large mouthful of eggs. "You didn't have to."

Anna shrugged. "I felt like it." she admitted honestly, taking a sip of her coffee while looking at the list George gave her. It was a list of things she would need to make. Looking at the first item on the list, she flipped open the book that had instructions before approaching the potion ingredients to get started.

XXX

Anna was alone in the backroom some time later. Fred had been called up front due to the enormous crowds coming and going in the store, which basically required all hands on deck. In the time since she arrived, Anna had started multiple products, including a few batches of the Skiving Snackboxes, Pimple Vanisher, and some fireworks.

She'd just finished her third Anti Gravity Hat when the door creaked open again. She set the finished hat with the others and looked over her shoulder to see Fred looking in at her.

"The family just got here." he told her, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "Great!" Anna jumped up and hurried toward the door. Fred backed out and let her through into the main part of the store. It was so crowded, everyone was practically bumping elbows. There was a decent-sized line at the counter where Verity was ringing them up, but most customers were wandering the store and browsing the different shelves. She spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione leading everyone in through the front door. She hurried through the crowd to see Hermione looking at the Patented Daydream Charms.

Hermione read the back of the box before looking at Harry, "You know, that really is extraordinary magic!"

"For that, Hermione," Fred beamed, coming up behind Anna and tossing an arm over her shoulders, "you can have one for free."

Anna grinned as the two turned toward them, even though she'd seen Harry that morning when she woke up. Seeing Hermione, however, she suddenly remembered that she'd forgotten about the bookworm's run-in with a Boxing Telescope.

"How are you, Harry?" Fred asked before Anna could bring it up. He shook Harry's hand with the one that wasn't around Anna's shoulders. "And what's happened to your eye, Hermione?"

"Your punching telescope." she answered ruefully. Anna grimaced sympathetically.

"Oh blimey, I forgot about those." said Fred. "Here-"

Anna glanced down to see him pull a familiar tub from his robe pocket and hand it to her. She unscrewed it hesitantly and peaked inside to see a thick, yellow paste.

"Just dab it on, that bruise'll be gone within the hour." Fred told her. "We had to find a decent bruise remover. We're testing most of our products on ourselves."

Hermione glanced nervously between the paste, Fred, and Anna. "It is _safe_ , isn't it?" she asked.

"Course it is." Fred insisted.

"It really is, Hermione." Anna assured her, guessing the younger girl would take her word over Fred's. "I've used it myself. It's amazing."

"Come on, Harry, I'll give you a tour." Fred added to Harry.

The boys wandered off toward the back of the shop, leaving Anna with Hermione, who was dabbing the paste on her black eye.

"You know, Fred was serious when he said you could have that daydream charm for free." Anna told her after Hermione screwed the lid back on the container. She handed it to Anna, who placed it in her pocket to return to Fred later. "He doesn't just give stuff away for free, especially merchandise. If he offered you one, he meant it. And that means something."

Hermione smiled, glancing back at the Patented Daydream Charms on the shelf. "Really?" she asked hesitantly. "But I thought they didn't like me."

"Hmm. It's not that they don't like you." Anna stated slowly, trying to figure out how to word what she was thinking. "Sure, you guys butted heads a lot, but if anything, I think they respect you and your opinion. I mean, when Fred heard you call the daydream charms 'extraordinary magic', he practically burst with pride. They do value your opinion, just like they value their parents' opinions, it's just not likely to stop them from doing what they want." she added, partially teasing even though it was the truth.

Hermione laughed, turning and taking a Daydream Charm off the shelf. "Well,…okay then. I am really curious to try this. Not in class, of course." she added hastily.

"Oh no, of course not." Anna joked. "Hermione Granger, daydreaming in class? The world would end before that happened."

Hermione pushed as Anna's shoulder, but both girls were laughing.

"But anyway, if Verity or anyone mentions you not paying for that, just tell them Fred Weasley, and me, said you could have that one for free."

"Okay, thanks." Hermione told her before glancing around. "Where do you think Fred and Harry disappeared to?"

"Probably where all the defense stuff is. The twins started their own branch of defense products, and they've been itching to show Harry that stuff since they thought it up. You know, since Harry taught the D.A. and everything."

Hermione nodded, her brown eyes alight with curiosity and Anna guessed she wanted to see the defense products, as well.

"What've you got there, Hermione?" Ginny asked, having wandered over after looking at something with Molly.

Hermione showed it to Ginny and Anna offered a brief explanation of the product.

"So, have you tried one?" Ginny asked Anna curiously.

"Well, yeah. Me, Fred, and George all tried them out before we started selling them, to check they worked for everyone."

"And what did you daydream about?" Ginny asked deviously.

Anna glared lightly at the redhead, trying not to blush. "Nothing very interesting." she lied. She'd obviously daydreamed about her and Fred, but it wasn't anything too naughty like Ginny was implying. It had just been of Anna and Fred making out in the backroom of the shop…on the work table. It was just a little bit more than the couple had done in real life, but Anna wasn't about to give Ginny any details.

"Ooh, do I have to guess?" Ginny pushed. Hermione was also smirking lightly, but she stayed quiet, just watching the exchange.

"How about _you_ try one and tell me what _you_ see?" Anna countered with a smirk. "I'm sure your dirty little mind will come up with all kinds of fun things to do with _Dean_."

"Shh!" Ginny hissed, her eyes switching to glance worriedly over Anna's shoulder. Glancing back, Anna saw Fred returning with Harry in tow.

Anna smirked back at Ginny, who narrowed her eyes warningly at her.

"Haven't you shown them our WonderWitch products yet?" Fred asked Anna, stopping at her shoulder.

"Oh, not yet. Ginny and I were just catching up on _so_ much." Anna commented, glancing slyly at the youngest Weasley. "Right, Gin?"

"What's WonderWitch?" Ginny asked quickly, looking up at her brother.

Fred glanced between his sister and girlfriend for a moment, his eyes narrowed with slight suspicion, before he turned and leaded them toward the window. Anna grinned when she saw that Hermione and Ginny hung back warily when they saw the large, pink display surrounded by giggling girls. Not much of girly-girl herself, Anna had tried suggesting the twins not make it so pink, but they didn't listen.

"There you go." Fred grinned proudly. "Best range of love potions you'll find anywhere."

Ginny raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Do they work?"

"Certainly they work, for up to twenty-four hours at a time depending on the weight of the boy in question-"

"-and the attractiveness of the girl." George finished, suddenly appearing at his twin's side. "But we're not selling them to our sister," he added, suddenly looking more stern than Anna had ever seen him, "not when she's already got about five boys on the go from what we've-"

"Whatever you've heard from Ron is a big fat lie." Ginny interrupted calmly. "But I do get it now." she added, as if suddenly thinking of something.

"Get what?" Fred and George asked curiously.

"I get why someone as beautiful and amazing as Anna is with someone like you." she finished, looking at Fred and wiggling a bottle of Love Potion suggestively. Anna snorted, covering her mouth and looking at the twins.

George with smirking, glancing sideways at Fred, who just narrowed his eyes at his sister.

"Funny." he commented dryly. "But for your information, Anna just has good taste in men."

"If she's with someone like you, I'm not so sure." Ginny argued teasingly, glancing at Anna with a friendly look to let her know it was said in jest.

"She does have a point." Anna played along, crossing her arms and looking up at Fred. "What is it I see in you, again?"

Fred smirked. "If you want a detailed reminder, we'd have to go into the backroom."

"Okay." George lightly shoved at Fred's head. "Don't talk like that in front of our little sister."

Ginny and Hermione laughed, while Anna looked at her feet to hide her blush and her smile.

"Anyway, don't change the subject, Gin." Fred continued, "Are you or are you not currently going out with a boy called Dean Thomas?"

"Yes I am." Ginny answered. "And last time I looked, he was definitely one boy, not five. What are those?"

Ginny pointed at the Pygmy Puffs in the bottom of a large cage, rolling around and squeaking. She was clearly trying to change the subject, and Anna admired her effort.

"Pygmy Puffs." George answered. "Miniature puffskeins, we can't breed them fast enough. So what about Michael Corner?"

"I dumped him, he was a bad loser." Ginny answered, sticking a finger through the bars of the cage, which the Puffs crowded around. "They're really cute!"

"They're fairly cuddly, yes." Fred admitted. "But you're moving through boyfriends a bit fast, aren't you?"

Ginny turned around to face her brothers, planting her hands on her hips. She looked so much like her mother, Anna glanced almost nervously at the twins to see if they would flinch.

"It's none of your business. And I'll thank _you_ ," she added angrily at George's elbow, where Ron had just appeared with arms full of products, "not to tell tales about me to these two!"

"That's three Galleons, nine Sickles, and a Knut." Fred interrupted, surveying the many products in his brother's arms. "Cough up."

"I'm your brother!" Ron argued.

"And that's our stuff you're nicking. Three Galleons, nine Sickles. I'll knock off the Knut."

"But I haven't got three Galleons, nine Sickles!"

"You'd better put it back then, and mind you put it on the right shelves."

Ron accidentally dropped several of the boxes, cursed, and gave Fred a rude hand gesture. Unfortunately for him, Molly arrived right in that moment and saw.

"If I see you do that again I'll jinx your fingers together." she threatened sharply.

"Mum, can I have a Pygmy Puff?" Ginny asked desperately.

"A what?" Molly asked warily.

"Look, they're so sweet!" Ginny insisted. Molly moved closer to the cage, and Anna stepped up with them, in case she needed to help Ginny convince her mother.

"Well, I don't know." Molly said uncertainly, looking down into the cage at the little animals. "How expensive are they to care for?" she asked Anna.

"They're easy and cheap to take care of, honestly." Anna answered. "They can eat just about anything you can give them, like table scraps and leftovers. And they're friendly. They have different personalities, so some of them are more…well-behaved then others." she admitted. "Just like any pet. But a lot of them are just content to sit on your shoulder or cuddle with you."

"Hmm…" Molly glanced from the playful creatures in the cage to the price tag stamped above the cage. A Pygmy Puff was two Galleons, four Sickles, and Anna guessed Molly was hesitant to spend that much.

Anna chewed her lip, tempted to either give Ginny the Pygmy Puff for free, or buy it for her herself. Of course, she didn't think it was her place to just give merchandise away, like the twins did for Hermione and Harry. Just as she was opening her mouth to offer to buy it for Ginny, Fred came up next to his mother and looked into the cage.

"You see one you want, Gin?" he asked, glancing between his sister and the cage.

"Well,…"Ginny glanced at her mother. Fred met Anna's eye and she nodded.

"Pick one." Fred told Ginny, looking back at her. "Free of charge."

"Oh, Fred, you don't have to do that." Molly argued.

Fred wrapped an arm around his mother and hugged her close. "Mum, it's fine. The shop's doing great, we can afford to give our sister a Pygmy Puff. I even okayed it with the boss." he joked, making Anna and Ginny laugh.

"Please, Mum?" Ginny begged, clasping her hands together. "Can I pick one?"

"Well,…alright, but you have to take good care of it." Molly told her sternly.

Ginny hugged her mother tight, and Anna opened the cage to help the young girl pick a Pygmy Puff.

While they were doing so, Molly looked around the shop and frowned.

"Where have Harry, Ron, and Hermione disappeared to?" she asked.

Anna glanced up and realized the young trio weren't in the same spot they'd been in moments ago.

"I'm sure they're around." Fred assured his mum. "The place is so crowded, they could be a few feet away from you and you could still miss them."

"Hermione seemed interested in looking at the defense products." Anna spoke up, still standing by Ginny as the girl petted the different Puffs. "Maybe Harry took them back there to show them."

"Good idea." Fred agreed. "Come on, Mum. I'll show where that is and we'll see if they're there."

Molly nodded and followed her son through the shop. Anna followed them with her eyes for a moment before glancing around the shop. She could barely see Arthur looking at some playing cards in the Muggle Magic Tricks section. George was helping some other customers. She could also see her father and Hagrid standing just outside the front door, looking back and forth down the street. It was safe to say the trio couldn't have left the shop without being spotted by at least one of the two.

 _'Unless Harry brought his Invisibility Cloak,'_ the thought suddenly popped into Anna's mind. She contemplated that for a moment before shrugging it off. Why would Harry and the others sneak off? What could they be doing that was so important, especially now?

"Aw!" Ginny's cooing brought Anna back to the present. One of the purple Pygmy Puffs had climbed up Ginny's arm and was nestled in the girl's chest under her chin. "I want this one!"

Anna laughed. "Alright, then. Excellent choice. Do you know what you're going to name him?"

Ginny tilted her head to look down at the little ball of fluff, who was making little squeaking sounds as he nuzzled under her chin.

"Hmm…Arnold?" she suggested. The Pygmy Puff squeaked happily and climbed up Ginny's chest to her shoulder, burrowing under her red hair. Ginny laughed, leaning her head to nuzzle her cheek against his head. "Definitely Arnold."

Anna laughed, closing the cage so the other Pygmy Puffs didn't try to escape. "That's the perfect name. Now, you want me to show you around more?"

Anna showed Ginny around, Arnold perched happily on the redhead's shoulder.

"Ah, Fred mentioned giving our little sister a Pygmy Puff." George commented, appearing next to the two girls in the fireworks section.

"Yep." Ginny beamed. "I named him Arnold, and I love him." she stated.

"I can see that." George grinned, reaching up and scratching the little creature on his head, or his back, whatever.

"Do you know if Fred and your mother found Harry and the others?" Anna asked him.

"Just ran into Mum, actually." George answered. "Said they hadn't found them. Mum's in a right tizzy."

"Well, I'm not sure why." Ginny commented, looking past Anna's shoulder. "They're right over there."

Anna's head snapped around, and sure enough, Harry, Ron, and Hermione came into view near the front door through a break in the crowd.

"Ooh, Mum's going to tear them a new one." George chuckled.

Just as he spoke, Molly Weasley appeared in the crowd, storming across the store toward the young trio with a murderous expression. Sirius entered the store and hurried over to them, looking worried, and Anna noticed Hagrid looking in the window with a similar expression.

"Well, as much as I would love to watch the show, I need to get back to work." George told Anna and Ginny. He ruffled his sister's hair and patted Anna's shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.

Anna shook her head, laughing before she turned to Ginny. "I should probably get back to work on some of the products in the back. Make sure you guys say bye to me before you actually leave."

Ginny agreed and Anna wove her way through the crowd to return to the backroom. She found herself taking a deep breath once the door clicked shut behind her. In the backroom, where the only noise was the muffled sounds of the crowd through the wood of the door, the squeaking of the Pygmy Puffs across the room, and Anna's own breathing, it was almost overwhelming how different it was in the shop. It was wonderful that there were so many customers in the shop, but it almost felt claustrophobic to be out there among the crowd, where people were pressing in on her from every side.

Taking another breath and relaxing, Anna returned to her seat at the work table to continue working on the list of products she'd been given.

Ginny and Hermione came into the back to say goodbye to Anna not long after. Apparently Molly was livid with the younger trio, as they had been obviously lying to her about where they had disappeared to. So, they were all heading home for the day, leaving Anna and the twins to get back to work.

"Lunch."

Anna's head snapped up from the Canary Creams she'd been working on for only a few minutes. Fred was entering the backroom, closing the door behind him as he carried over a plate piled with sandwiches.

"How is it lunch already?" Anna demanded as he set the plate on the table next to her batch of Creams.

"It's almost two o'clock." Fred told her in amusement as he sat down next to her.

Anna spun around to look for the clock on the wall and, sure enough, he was right. It'd been almost two hours since the family had left.

"Guess I lost track of time." Anna admitted, turning to face forward again. Now that there was food in the room, Anna realized just how hungry she was. Her breakfast of scrambled eggs about four hours ago seemed a long ways away. Taking a brief break with the Canary Creams, she grabbed a sandwich off the top of the pile and took a large bite of it, the creamy mayonnaise and smoky turkey soaking into her taste buds as she chewed.

"You got a lot done back here." Fred noted, his eyes scanning the crowded work table before taking a bite of his own sandwich.

"Yeah, well,…I didn't know it'd been this long." Anna admitted sheepishly.

"I could tell." Fred teased.

"Shut up." Anna laughed, trying to take another bite of her sandwich. "By the way, I can't believe you gave free merchandise to Ginny, Harry, _and_ Hermione, but didn't give anything to Ron."

"Yeah, well, Ron needs to learn manners." Fred countered. "Hermione, Harry, and Ginny didn't expect free stuff. Ron did. He was being entitled, and I wasn't going to reward that."

Anna tilted her head slightly. "That's a surprisingly good point. Anyway, how's the shop doing out there?" she asked, finally taking another bite.

"The crowd died down a bit ago, but it's still pretty steady out there. I'll eat a few sandwiches and head back out there so George can take his break."

"What about Verity?" Anna asked after swallowing again.

"She took hers a little while ago, so she's good until the end of her shift." Fred assured her.

Anna nodded, finishing the rest of her sandwich in one huge bite. Still chewing, she stood up and gathered some of the finished products littering the table and moved them to the shelf across the room that held all the products ready to put out front to sell.

Turning back, she returned to the table and started to gather some products around her. Then she felt something brush her hair off one shoulder. Pausing, Anna turned her head slightly as Fred then rested his hands on her hips from behind. He leaned forward and kissed the back of her head.

"What are you doing?" she asked slowly, a small smile slowly slipping over her face.

She felt him grin into her hair, his hands gently squeezing her hips. "Giving you that detailed reminder about why you love me." he mumbled, his voice low and rough, making Anna blush and look down.

Fred slid one hand around Anna's waist, pulling her around so that they faced each other. Anna peaked up at him, her butt pressing back into the edge of the work table. Fred grinned down at her, leaning down and kissing her cheek. He then bumped her cheek with his nose and kissed her jaw below her ear.

"I'm attractive," he listed, "hilarious, a talented Beater and Quidditch player, a successful business owner,-"

"Not to mention arrogant." Anna added, rolling her eyes with a slight smirk.

Fred shifted his hands higher and tickled her ribs. Anna shrieked slightly, giggling as Fred wrapped an arm around her lower back to pull her tight to his chest. Anna was still giggling quietly, pressing her mouth into Fred's shoulder and wrapping her arms under his and around his back.

"I make you happy." Fred continued quietly, the arrogance gone from his tone as he wrapped both arms around Anna, cradling her to his chest. "I understand you, why you make certain decisions, like your job and wanting to live at home with your family. I protect you, even when you sometimes don't want it. I'm really family oriented, which you love because you didn't have much family growing up. You know you can trust me with anything and that I'll always have your back."

Anna hummed quietly, turning her head to rest her cheek on his shoulder, peaking up at the side of his face. Fred also turned his head, tilting it to look down at her, their noses almost brushing.

"And I'm an amazing kisser." he breathed, smug smirk returning to his face. Before Anna could roll her eyes, he leaned down and pressed his warm lips to hers. Anna smiled into the kiss, but then her breath hitched in her throat when his tongue licked her lip.

Fred's hands slid back down to Anna's waist while hers slid out from under his arms and up his chest, one continuing up to rest on the side of his neck.

Fred's grip on her waist suddenly tightened and then he lifted her up and sat her down on the edge of the table, making her giggle. Anna felt her butt and lower back push the products back, but she didn't care. She slid both arms around Fred's neck and pulled him closer. Fred stepped close until their chests were touching.

One of Fred's hands slid up until it rested on her ribs, his thumb under her breast and his fingers curved around her back. His other hand slid down past her butt to her thigh. Gripping it tightly, he pulled her leg up and Anna instinctively wrapped it around his waist. She pulled her other leg up in the same position and hooked her ankles together behind his butt.

Fred groaned low in his throat. He let go of her leg and soon that same hand was planted on the tabletop just past her waist, his arm boxing her in. Anna slid her arms back, one hand cupping Fred's jaw and the other sliding into his short, soft hair. She gently fisted the ginger locks between her fingers and felt a slight shiver run down Fred's body.

Fred tore his mouth from hers, his breathing loud like Anna's. Her ears were filled by the pounding of her heartbeat and their loud gasping. Fred tilted his head and kissed her cheek, his warm, wet lips trailing down to her jaw, and then her neck. Anna gasped and tilted her head back without thought.

"You're so bloody sexy." Fred muttered against her skin, his warm breath sending shivers down Anna's spine, goosebumps rising on her arms.

Anna continued to breathe heavily, her eyes still closed in bliss. It took a few moments for her brain to register Fred's words, then their meaning, and then her response.

"Bullocks." she muttered, burying her face in the space between his shoulder and neck.

"It's true." Fred breathed, both his hands moving again, resting high on her waist and gently sliding up to her ribs. "You're beautiful. And amazing. And sexy. And I don't tell you that enough." he breathed, kissing his way back up to the corner of her mouth. He pulled back slightly, his hot breath fanning Anna's cheeks and lips. She forced her heavy eyelids open and looked up at him. His cheeks were red, his brown eyes darker than normal, and his slightly-swollen lips were parted as he breathed. When his eyes met hers, one corner of his lips tugged up slightly in a smirk.

"Do you remember what you see in me now?" he asked teasingly.

Anna's own tender lips tugged up in a small smile and she laughed breathlessly.

"I think you jogged my memory a bit." she joked back. She leaned forward slightly, brushing her lips teasingly against his. "But I'm sure you could give me a few more reminders."

Fred's eyes flashed and his smirk widened. He leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against Anna's-

-just as the door to the backroom swung open.

Fred and Anna lurched apart and turned. George had paused in the doorway, his eyes looking back and forth and a smirk growing on his face.

"Shut up, George." Anna groaned, letting her head drop onto Fred's shoulder.

"I didn't even say anything!" George laughed. The door closed with a click and Anna heard footsteps approaching them. "I just came back here to eat my much-deserved lunch. If I'd known I'd be walking in on this, I'd have gone out to eat."

"Shut up and eat your sandwiches." Fred laughed, repeatedly running a hand through Anna's hair and down her back soothingly. "Do I have time to eat another sandwich or two, or do I need to get back out there?"

"You mean you didn't get enough to eat?" George teased. Fred reached over to smack his twin, but George ducked out of the way laughing. "It's slowed down quite a bit, and I told Verity to just yell back here if she needs any help. You should be good for a few minutes."

"Good."

Fred helped Anna hop down from the table and they all took their seats to eat some more sandwiches.


	20. Mission

Annabelle stepped out of the shadows, glancing back and forth across the street before crossing and hurrying up the front steps. She knocked firmly a few times before stepping back, pulling her cloak hood further over her face. She waited anxiously for several moments before she heard the familiar click of a lock and the door slowly creaked open.

Anna slipped inside and closed the door closely behind her. She looked up slightly at the familiar face behind the long, white beard, crooked nose, and blue eyes.

"Thank you for coming." Dumbledore told her, already heading for the dining room. "This way, please."

Anna followed him after hesitating for a moment, slowly pulling her hood down and following him into the room. He sat at the head of the dining room table and Anna sat at the seat next to him.

"Are we the only ones here?" she asked, glancing around nervously for any sign of someone else in 12 Grimmauld Place.

"Yes. We are alone." Dumbledore assured her. "I'd prefer to keep this mission quiet until later, if you don't mind. Just to be safe."

Anna nodded silently. Just that morning, she'd received a letter from Dumbledore that he wanted to speak with her at headquarters after dinner. She'd had to come up with an excuse to her parents and Harry, saying she was meeting a few friends from school before Apparating away. The letter had little information about what the meeting was actually about.

"So, you have a mission for me?" Anna guessed quietly, unable to look at his face in case the anxiety and fear she was feeling showed in her eyes.

"I do. I was hoping there'd be more than one of you to be able to do it, but it seems Tonks is…struggling to change lately." Dumbledore admitted.

Anna's head snapped up and she stared at him. She knew from experience that emotions, particularly depression, had an effect on a Metamorphmagus's ability to change. But that wasn't the only thing on her mind, now. "Is this a dangerous mission? Is that why you wanted both of us?"

Dumbledore hummed, folding his hands together atop the table. "Only if you don't take the necessary precautions. You'll need to disguise yourself completely, both your looks and your character, and you should be fine. Of course, you'll have your wand on you for protection, and if the situation becomes too risky, Apparate yourself out of there."

Anna nodded slowly, taking a deep breath through her nose to calm her nerves. "Okay. And what is this mission?"

Dumbledore looked her right in the eyes, his blue searching her gray for several moments before he spoke. "I need you to go into Knockturn Alley to see if you can find something."

Anna stared at him for a moment. "What kind of something?" she asked.

"Well, that's hard to say, really. You may find nothing. This mission may turn out to be a waste of time, but I'd rather cover all my bases." Dumbledore told her. "What I'd need you to look for are…objects." he stated slowly. "These objects may be crucial to defeating Voldemort."

"What are they? The objects?" Anna asked curiously, leaning forward now in her seat.

"I'm not positive." Dumbledore admitted. "But they would have to be…something of interest to Voldemort. I've deduced they would have to be something of incredible value, and connected either to one of Hogwarts' founders or a pureblood family heirloom."

Anna nodded slowly, her eyes narrowed in thought. "So,…it'd have to be something…either from Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. Or from a pureblood family?"

Dumbledore nodded once. "Yes. Especially something that belonged in the Slytherin or Gaunt families."

"Gaunt?" Anna repeated, having never heard the name before.

Dumbledore nodded once. "A family descended of Salazar Slytherin, of which Voldemort is a descendant. The line has nearly died out. So if you can find an heirloom that once belonged to either the Slytherin or Gaunt families, there's a high chance it's what we're looking for."

"So, I'm looking for something valuable that either came from a Hogwarts founder or the Slytherin or Gaunt families." Anna deduced slowly, nodding a couple times.

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded once. "Of course, I've already found something from the Gaunt family, but there's always a chance he used another one."

"What did he use them for?" Anna asked curiously.

"The less you know, the better, I'm afraid." Dumbledore told her. "Just know that it's necessary to defeating him."

Anna nodded in understanding. "Okay. And you want me to look in Knockturn Alley for these things?"

"Yes. If there's anything there to be found, it will most likely be Borgin and Burkes, but try checking a few of the other stores, as well, if you can."

Anna nodded, trying to think through everything she'd need to do to see if she had any questions. "And what happens if I do end up finding something? Do I buy it or contact you or what?"

"I will provide you with funds sufficient to purchase anything you may end up finding." Dumbledore assured her. "And remember, you'll need to create a disguise."

"Do you have any suggestions on how I should disguise myself?" Anna asked hesitantly. "I mean,…should I be a random old lady or something?"

"I'd be careful with that." Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "A shop owner may try to overcharge you if they think they can get away with it. I'd aim for a look that doesn't attract too much attention at first glance. But if you need to speak with someone, like the shop owner, make sure you exude an air of confidence, almost of pureblood arrogance. Perhaps aim for a middle-aged woman with expensive tastes, yet well-educated. A shop owner will be more likely to cater to your needs if there's a chance you'll spend a large sum of money in his shop.

"If the opportunity arises, give a pureblood name that may earn you some extra respect. Not one that gets too much attention, like Black or Malfoy. One that doesn't attract as much attention, yet is recognizable. I'd recommend Bulstrode or Macmillan. But be subtle, don't make it a big deal."

Anna nodded slowly. "Okay. So disguise as a middle-aged, pureblood woman. Look in Knockturn Alley shops for valuable objects from Hogwarts' founders or pureblood families. If I find one, I buy it. Anything else?"

Dumbledore smiled slightly with a shake of his head. "Just remember all of that. You should do it this Saturday, preferably during the day when it's not as dangerous or suspicious. We've got a small Order meeting scheduled for that evening. Bring me any objects or news then." Reaching his hand into his robe, Dumbledore pulled out a small bag that he dropped onto the tabletop. Coins clinked and jingled from inside as it hit the wooden surface. "Any questions?"

Anna shook her head. "No, sir."

XXX

Anna appeared with a pop in Diagon Alley, though to passersby, she didn't look like Annabelle Black. She was taller, almost six foot, with long, blonde hair, a diamond-shaped face with sharp cheekbones, and dark eyes. She was dressed in dark robes with a black, hooded traveling cloak wrapped around her shoulders.

Glancing around briefly, Anna turned off Diagon Alley and entered a small back alley. She traveled between a few buildings, making a couple twists and turns, before she reached a much darker place that looked similar to the place she just left.

Knockturn Alley was a dark, eerie place. She'd never been there before. The twins had always been curious about it when they were younger, but not Anna. Just seeing the kinds of shops she was walking past and the people who passed her or leered from shop windows made her skin crawl. But she kept her composure, reminding herself that she wasn't Annabelle Black at the moment. She was a confident, young, rich woman, and she forced herself to walk as such, keeping her chin high and face blank even as she clutched her wand in her cloak.

Soon, a shabby sign hanging from a nearby shop caught Anna's eye and she headed for the shop door underneath it.

The door to Borgin and Burkes creaked eerily as she stepped over the threshold, entering the shop slowly and looking around. There were a few other people in the shop, though Anna paid them no mind and headed for the nearest shelf.

The shop was so creepy. The dusty and cracked windows let in hardly any light, leaving the shop to be a dim, eerie looking place. There was a withered hand on a cushion in a nearby glass case, a pack of cards stained with blood, and human bones scattered on a nearby counter.

She passed a battered old cabinet before coming to another glass display. Seeing a beautiful, fancy necklace made of turquoise opals, she paused and leaned down to get a closer look. It looked like something that may have belonged to a pureblood family or something. There was a label with it that read;

' _Do not touch! Cursed._

 _Has claimed the lives of nineteen Muggle owners to date.'_

Anna barely refrained from wrinkling her nose in disgust. That label sounded more like it was bragging than warning. Still, that sounded like something Voldemort and his crew would be interested in, right?

"May I help you, ma'am?"

Anna stood straight and turned to see a stooping man with hair as oily as Snape's. She guessed this was the shop owner, Borgin.

Forcing herself to remain calm and not stutter or make a fool of herself, Anna glanced coolly down at the necklace. "Yes, I was wondering what you could tell me about the history of this necklace."

"Ah, you have expensive tastes, my dear." Borgin said gleefully. "Unfortunately, that particular piece has already been purchased and is currently on hold. Is there anything else you'd be interested in?"

Anna thought for a moment, letting her eyes scan the shop while she thought about what to say next. "Do you have any…valuable heirlooms? Particularly from the families Slytherin or Gaunt? I'm looking for a gift for my aunt, and something like those would make her day." she explained, hoping she wasn't making a mistake.

"Ah, family heirlooms, perhaps?" Borgin guessed with a gleam in his eye. Anna guessed he'd come to the conclusion she came from a rich pureblood family, like she'd been hoping he would. "I'm afraid not at this moment, but we do have other things of value. Just over here we've got a few items that were owned by some very famous witches and wizards."

He showed Anna dozens of valuable objects, but Anna saw nothing that seemed like something Voldemort would want. After almost half an hour of searching, Anna came up with an excuse to leave the dreary shop without making a purchase. She could tell Borgin was pissed, but she didn't care.

She checked a couple other shops like Cobb and Webb's, The Coffin House, and Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, but those came up empty, as well. So, after being in Knockturn Alley for almost two hours, Anna left the dreary place behind and returned to Diagon Alley, which honestly wasn't much better in terms of dreariness. But she still took a deep breath of relief.

Glancing around, Anna found her gaze drawn in the direction of the twins' shop. She'd owled Fred a couple days ago to let him know she wouldn't be able to work at the shop that Saturday and that she'd see him at the meeting later that night,…but now she wanted nothing more than to go to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. The cheerful and boisterous atmosphere, the Pygmy Puffs, the twins…it sounded like just what she needed after being in eerie Knockturn Alley.

Before she'd even completely decided, her feet were already carrying her down the alley toward number 93. Seeing how packed the shop was, and knowing she didn't exactly look like herself, Anna moved around the shop to the back door. Pulling out her key, she unlocked the door and slipped into the backroom.

It was empty, which wasn't too surprising given how busy it was out front. But the Pygmy Puffs started squeaking like crazy as soon as they saw her. Anna wasn't sure if they knew it was her, or if they just loved everyone, but she pulled down her hood, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and changed her appearance back to her normal self.

Sighing in relief, Anna pulled off her cloak and hung it on the rack by the door. Stepping over the small fence of the Puffs' pen, she was careful not to step on the swarming pile of puffballs as she entered the pen and sat on a bare space of floor. Instantly, the baby Pygmy Puffs swarmed her, climbing over her legs and up her arms and chest to her shoulders. Anna couldn't help laughing quietly, the pink and purple fuzz tickling her skin. She picked up a Puff at random and cuddled it to her chest, nuzzling her face into the soft fur. She instantly felt relaxed and at ease, her mission temporarily gone from her mind.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there. It may have been five minutes or an hour. But eventually the familiar sound of the door to the backroom swung open and closed with a click.

"Anna?"

Looking up from a face full of Pygmy Puff fur, Anna saw Fred halfway between the door and the work table, staring at her in surprise.

"Hi." she whispered simply, looking back down at the Pygmy Puffs, several of which had fallen asleep on her lap or around her legs.

"What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't come in today." Fred asked, approaching the pen and kneeling on the ground next to it.

Anna shrugged. "Well,…I had a mission from Dumbledore today." she admitted. "I just finished and, well,…I just needed to come here."

Fred rested his arms on the top of the pen and tilted his head. "That's what you were doing today? You had an Order mission? What did you have to do?"

"Nothing too bad. I just had to go to Knockturn Alley." Anna admitted.

"You got to go to Knockturn Alley?" Fred repeated eagerly, then his expression changed to worry. "You went to Knockturn Alley _alone_?"

"Relax. I was in disguise and I had my wand. I wasn't in any danger." Anna told him.

Fred nodded slowly, his eyes distractedly staring at the pile of fluff on her lap. "So, what did you have to do?"

"He wanted me to see if I could find any pureblood family heirlooms, or Hogwarts founder family heirlooms, that Voldemort might be interested in. But I couldn't find anything. Dumbledore figured I wouldn't, but he wanted to cover all his bases."

Fred hummed thoughtfully, nodding his head. "So, I'm guessing you went to Borgin and Burkes?"

"Yeah, and a few other shops, but I didn't find anything."

"Well, you tried." Fred stood up and leaned down over the pen to kiss the top of Anna's head, which made her smile. "I've gotta get to work on some stuff. We're almost out of Skiving Snackboxes, so I've gotta start making a few batches."

"I could help, if you want." Anna offered, carefully moving the baby Pygmy Puffs off her lap so she could stand up without dropping them or stepping on them. "It looked pretty busy out there. I may as well help since I'm here."

"You sure?" Fred asked, already sitting at the table and pulling the necessary ingredients toward him from around the messy worktable.

"Absolutely." Anna nodded, standing and stepping over the pen to join him.

XXX

"You better not have got him a joke product." Anna said as soon as she opened the front door to reveal Fred and George, the older twin holding a wrapped box.

"Why not?" Fred and George asked, pretending to be offended as Anna stepped back and waved them into the house.

"Because most of your products aren't exactly safe for a one year old." she answered.

"Fair enough." George agreed.

"But this one is." Fred added, lifting the box slightly. "It's a Happy Bubble Box."

Anna tilted her head slightly in thought. The Happy Bubble Box was a joke product, but it was just a box that, when opened, released colorful bubbles. That would be safe enough, and Aslan would love it.

"Alright, that's fine." she decided, leading them toward the living room. "You can put the present on the coffee table, and everyone's outside in the garden. Ooh! You wanna see my room?" she asked excitedly. Despite being friends since they were eleven, the twins had never been over to her house, or seen her bedroom.

"Isn't it yours and Harry's room, now?" George pointed out as Fred placed the present on the pile.

"Well,…yes, sort of. Technically." she consented. "While he's here. But anyway, come on and see it!" she ordered, grabbing both the twins' hands and dragging them toward the stairs.

"Are you sure you want me up there?" George asked teasingly. "I'd think you'd prefer to just show Fred your room."

Anna released George's hand to smack him behind the head. "Pervert." she muttered, turning and leading the way up the stairs without holding their hands. She made it up the stairs and hurried down the hall to her bedroom door, which she pushed open to step into the room.

The twins followed her in and looked around curiously.

"Ah, there's the spoiled owl." George commented, looking to his right, where Ariel was perched on her tree. Hedwig was perched a few branches higher up. The two owls got along rather well, which Anna was relieved about.

Ariel narrowed her dark eyes at George, her feathers fluffing up indignantly.

George instantly stepped around Fred, leaving his twin as a barrier between him and the angry owl. Anna and Fred laughed.

"I wouldn't insult her like that, George." Anna told him lightly. "Last time you were lucky she only nipped you."

"Yeah, yeah, shut up." George grumbled.

"So, you got an extra bed for Harry?" Fred moved the conversation along.

"Yep. We shrunk my bed and created a second one. And my dad Transfigured that second dresser for Harry."

"Does your room feel too crowded after having it to yourself for so long?" Fred asked curiously.

Anna hummed thoughtfully. "Not really. It feels…cozy. Comfortable. I actually kinda like it." she admitted.

"You always were a weird one." George teased, looking around the room.

"Shut up." Anna laughed. "Anyway, that's pretty much it. You guys wanna head outside and join everyone?"

The twins agreed, and the three headed back downstairs and out the backdoor into the garden outside.

Molly, Arthur, Ron, and Ginny were there already, along with Hermione. Harry was talking with his two best friends at the other end of the garden. Sirius was talking with Anna's grandpa Winthrop and Remus, who was holding Aslan and smiling despite looking worn and grayer than before. Dora had been invited, but claimed she couldn't make it. Anna suspected she didn't want to come when Remus was there, probably to avoid making it awkward.

Wren and Grandma Ethel walked out the backdoor behind Anna and the twins, following a few dishes of food that floated in front of them. They placed them on the large table next to a pile of plates.

Eating was fairly casual. Everyone just took platefuls of food and ate while standing and moving around among themselves in the sunny garden, chatting and catching up.

"Oh, Anna, sweetie, why don't you introduce me to your friends?" Ethel suggested, beaming at Anna as she glanced between her granddaughter and the two redheads she was talking with.

Anna blushed, glancing down at her plate. "Um, well,…this is George." she stated, gesturing to the twin on her right. "And this is his twin Fred…my boyfriend."

"Ah, so you're the young gentleman my daughter has told me so much about." Ethel nodded to Fred after shaking George's hand.

"Grandma!" Anna whined, hiding her blushing face behind her hand.

"Well, you certainly don't tell me things." Ethel told her granddaughter. "I have to hear these things from someone. And once I get Wren talking about your boyfriend, she simply won't shut up."

Fred chuckled, holding his hand out for Ethel's. "It's lovely to meet you, Ma'am." And like a perfect gentleman, Fred kissed the back of Ethel's hand.

"Oh, handsome and charming." Ethel noted as Fred released her hand and wrapped an arm around Anna's waist. She grinned at Anna, who was still blushing. "You have excellent taste in men, dear."

"Don't feed his ego." she whined, while Fred and George laughed.

After eating a couple plates worth of the delicious dinner her mum had made, Anna took Aslan off Remus's hands. Whenever his godfather was around, Aslan rarely wanted to let the man out of his sight. He obviously adored his godfather as much as he loved the rest of his family, but Remus wasn't around as much due to his missions with the werewolf pack. And Remus clearly loved spending time with his godson, but Anna suspected he got tired of holding the now-22.5 pound toddler for hours on end.

"Alright, everyone!" Wren called from the backdoor. Everyone turned to see Wren walking into the garden, her wand pointed in front of her and a small, round, green cake floating in front of her. Molly was following with her own wand pointed in front of her and Aslan's small stack of presents floating in front of her.

Anna moved closer to the table, holding Aslan on her hip. "Look at that." she told him, pointing at the cake. He giggled and clapped his hands together.

"Dij! Dij!" he squealed.

"That's right." Sirius agreed with a grin, appearing at Anna's shoulder. "It's Quidditch."

Sure enough, Aslan's birthday cake looked like a Quidditch pitch. It was a medium-sized round cake, decorated with green and white frosting like a Quidditch pitch. There were also three hoops on one side, like the goals on a real pitch. And there were a couple little people flying around the cake on broomsticks.

"Merlin, Wren, you outdid yourself." Remus noted, his tone impressed as Wren placed the cake on the now-empty table.

"Well, I can't take all the credit." Wren pointed out. "It was Sirius's idea, and Molly helped me bake and decorate it."

"Well, it came out even better than I thought it would." Sirius stated, grinning at the cake. "Not that I'm saying you're a bad cook, love." he added quickly, seeming to realize how his statement might sound.

"Mhm." Wren raised an eyebrow at him with pursed lips, but she then shook her head before turning back to the cake. She waved her wand, and the middle goal hoop on the cake lit on fire like a candle.

Molly, having placed the presents on the other end of the table, lead the group in singing 'Happy Birthday'. She was also holding up an old camera and was snapping pictures around of everyone gathered around the table.

When they finished singing, Anna leaned down so Aslan was somewhat closer to the cake without being able to grab it or burn himself. "Blow out the candle, Aslan. Like this." Anna blew at the candle. Aslan tried copying her, but he was blowing more spit and bubbles then air. So Anna just blew a bit harder to put the candle out.

Everyone clapped and cheered as Anna stood up straight again. Aslan laughed and shrieked, clapping his little hands together joyously.

Molly cut the cake and started passing out pieces starting with Aslan. Anna passed her brother to her mum so she could grab her own plate, sitting between Fred and her mother, who sat with Aslan on her lap and tried to help him eat his slice of cake. Aslan, of course, had his own ideas. Within seconds, both fists were closed tightly around clumps of cake, green icing squishing out from between his fingers, and his mouth, cheeks, and nose were covered in cake and icing. And then he decided to share, ending up leaning over to his dad on Wren's other side and smearing some of his cake across Sirius's face. The whole table roared with laughter.

Fred found himself smiling to his right about fifteen minutes later. Anna had taken Aslan off her mother's hands again and was holding him on her lap. She was laughing and letting the birthday boy continue smashing his cake in his tiny hands, stuffing it in his mouth and smearing it all over his face. Aslan even turned and smeared the green muck across Anna's mouth, the smear spanning from one cheek to the other under her nose. Anna jerked her head back in surprise, scolding Aslan even as she laughed.

An elbow bumped Fred's, making him look to his left where his twin was sitting. George was smirking knowingly at him, his eyebrows jumped once before he glanced past Fred at Anna before looking back again.

Fred glared lightly at his twin, bumping his elbow in return. Words weren't needed. George could see the thoughts in Fred's eyes and expression as if they were his own. He knew what Fred was imagining, seeing Anna with a baby as he so frequently did. Imagining a future that was much simpler and happier than the looming war allowed.

XXX

' _Dear Anna,_

 _We just finished Quidditch tryouts this afternoon. I got Chaser with Katie and a girl named Demelza Robins, she's great at dodging bludgers. Our new Beaters are Ritchie Coote and Jimmy Peakes. They're no Fred and George, but they'll do._

 _Anyway, that's all I've got since last I wrote. Have a good weekend._

 _Love, Ginny'_

Anna folded up Ginny's latest letter before changing into her clothes for the day to head to work. It was about halfway through September, and Ginny had already written a couple times.

Because of work, Anna wasn't able to go to Kings Cross to say goodbye to everyone on September 1st. But she wished Harry a good year at breakfast before they left, and was keeping in touch with Hermione, Ginny, and Tonks, who was stationed frequently at Hogsmeade for extra protection with a few other Order members.

In her last letter, Ginny told Anna that several kids hadn't gone to Hogwarts this year, because parents were pulling them out of school to be safe.

Anna had also heard from Hermione that Hagrid was feeling depressed because hardly anyone was taking his class. Anna figured her not being there to visit Hagrid also left him with a lot of alone time, which just made her feel guilty.

When Anna got to work that morning, it was much the same as it had been lately. Most of her cases were typical cases. Helping the Aurors track down the occasional witch or wizard who's on the run for some reason or another, and helping make a case for or against the person in question.

"Hi."

Anna looked up from her simple lunch of a turkey sandwich in the break room. Audrey entered and sat at the same table as her, red-brown hair in a low bun.

"Hi. How's it going?" Anna returned the greeting before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Busy, as usual." Audrey admitted, pulling out a salad. "I swear the number of cases I get a day has nearly doubled in the past month."

"I know, it's crazy." Anna agreed, tempted to say more, but deciding to keep her personal thoughts to herself. If Audrey was anything like Percy, she would have a very different opinion from Anna on many of their cases.

"I think the Minister is sort of grasping at straws, to be frank." Audrey admitted, poking her salad with her fork.

Anna froze, her sandwich halfway to her mouth. Audrey had, basically, taken the words right out of her mouth.

"Really?" Anna asked in shock.

Audrey eyed her from across the table. "You don't think so?"

"No, I actually do think that." Anna agreed. "I'm just kinda shocked that you, well…" Anna trailed off, feeling awkward.

Audrey smiled slightly. "That I actually disagree with what the Ministry is doing?" she guessed.

"Yeah." Anna admitted sheepishly.

"Well, I do think they need to crack down on tracking down Dark wizards and anyone who may be supporting You-Know-Who, and it's hard to always tell who's really a Death Eater and who's being Imperiused, but there are some people being arrested or charged for things that they very obviously didn't do or were obviously Imperiused into doing. I think the Minister just wants to prove he's doing more than Fudge did."

Anna nodded slowly. "Yeah, I agree." Anna hesitated for a moment before bravely asking, "What does your boyfriend think of that?"

Audrey glanced up at Anna before looking back down at her salad. When she spoke, it was in a quiet voice Anna could barely hear. "Percy doesn't always like to talk about his feelings, but…he used to be very opinionated. That's one of the things I always liked about him. But lately…I think some of his opinions have changed lately, but he doesn't want to admit it for fear of embarrassing himself, or getting in trouble. He really supported the Minister when Fudge was denying that You-Know-Who was back, but now that he's obviously been proven wrong…He doesn't know what to do or think about all that, so he's just throwing himself into work and trying to ignore it all, I think. He'll barely talk to me about any of it."

Anna nodded slowly, cautious curiosity bubbling up inside her. Was it possible that, after everything he did to pull himself away from his family, Percy might be regretting whose side he chose?


	21. Blessing

Annabelle hurried up to the receptionists' desk, two pairs of footsteps behind her.

"Katie Bell?" Anna asked the witch behind the desk.

The witch looked down at the parchment on her desk before looking back up at them. "Fourth Floor, Spell Damage. Room 418."

Anna nodded once and hurried off, George managing to get ahead of her while her and Fred followed.

It was mid-October, and Anna and the twins had both received owls that morning about Katie being cursed while in Hogsmeade. Harry had written to Anna, while Ginny wrote to the twins. Anna didn't know many of the details, just that she'd been delivering something to the castle and must've somehow got cursed by it. It had happened the day before, Saturday, but Madam Pomfrey decided to move her to St. Mungo's on Sunday. Other than that, Anna and the twins had no idea what was going on or how she was doing.

They hurried up to the fourth floor and down the corridor until they found the room numbered 418. George knocked a couple times on the wooden door before pushing it open slowly.

Anna and Fred followed him into the room and the first thing Anna saw was Katie. She was laid out in a hospital bed, a white sheet over her waist and down. Her skin was pale, her brown hair spread over her pillow beneath her head, and her chest rose and fell as she breathed shallowly.

"Mrs. Bell." Anna dragged her eyes from her friend at the sound of Fred's voice. He'd moved around the bed to where a woman was sitting in a chair next to the bed. Her face was almost as pale at Katie's, tear tracks trailing from her puffy eyes and staining her cheeks. She almost looked like an older version of Katie. She had the same facial structure and her eyes and nose were the same shape. The only differences were her eye and hair color. Katie's eyes and hair were brown, while Mrs. Bell's eyes were green and her hair blonde.

"My name's Fred." Fred continued when Katie's mother looked up at him. "This is my twin, George, and my girlfriend, Anna. We're friends of Katie's."

Mrs. Bell nodded slowly, sniffling slightly as she sat up straighter in her chair. "Yes, Katie's told me a lot about you all." she admitted quietly, her voice a little hoarse.

"How's she doing?" George asked her, dragging his eyes from Katie's still form to her mother.

"The Healers say she was lucky." Mrs. Bell whispered, looking again down at her daughter. "She was carrying a cursed necklace from Hogsmeade to the castle. No one knows where she got it, or why. Her friend she was walking with said Katie kept insisting she had to deliver it to Dumbledore. There was a tiny hole in her glove, that's how she touched it. If she'd touched it with much more skin than she did, she would've…" Katie's mother trailed off, her breath hitching in her throat. Her hand came up to her trembling lips as her eyes once again filled with tears.

Anna struggled to swallow as her throat tightened painfully. Katie's mother didn't need to finish her sentence. Katie would've died if she'd touched the necklace with her whole hand.

Anna and the twins stayed with Katie and her mother for a while. Eventually, Fred left to help Verity at the shop, knowing Anna and George wanted to stay.

They stayed until late afternoon and left a little while after Mr. Bell came to stay with his wife. If Katie looked like a mini clone of her mother, the few features they didn't share Katie clearly got from her father. His hair and eyes were the exact shades of brown that Katie's were.

Anna, the twins, and even Angelina and Alicia stopped in to visit Katie almost everyday, even for just a few minutes if they could. By Monday there were several cards, balloons, and flowers. The biggest, brightest bouquet of flowers came from George, and Anna was sure it would cheer the young Chaser up when she woke up and saw it.

Katie did finally wake up, near the end of her first week in St. Mungo's. Anna or one of the twins stopped by to visit her at least once a day.

Near the end of October, the last weekend of the month, Anna stopped by after work on Friday around the same time as George, who brought another bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates. Of course, Katie made George try one of the sweets to ensure he wasn't pranking her.

"So," Anna started after George left for the evening, "Ginny and Harry have been keeping me updated on Hogwarts stuff."

"Yeah?" Katie was sitting up in her bed, leaning back against her fluffy pillow. "Anything Quidditch related?"

Anna grimaced, knowing her news may come as a blow. "Well,…with the first match of the year coming up soon, and your condition still…up in the air…Harry made Dean Thomas a Chaser."

Katie nodded slowly, her eyes still fixed on Anna's. "To replace me." she stated simply, filling in what Anna hadn't said. Before Anna could respond, Katie continued, "It was really his best choice. There's no telling how long I'm going to be in here, and Dean was the next best Chaser to try out. And it's best to start training with him now so he can get in enough practice before the first match."

"I know." Anna agreed with a nod. "It's weird how much the team has changed since our first couple years on the team. I mean, just in the six years I was on the team, the Captain changed from Charlie, to Oliver, to Angelina, to Harry. Not to mention the Chasers and Beaters."

"I know." Katie sighed wistfully. "And don't get me wrong, I like the team we've got now, but I miss playing with you, Ang, Alicia, and the twins."

"Same here."

XXX

Fred appeared with a loud _CRACK_ and glanced around. He was surrounded by trees on all sides and could see a circular pen made of beams of wood. He walked toward it and past it until he could see a familiar cottage-like house with a garden behind it. He walked around it until he reached the front door and gave a few raps on the polished wood.

"Who is it?" a familiar, though slightly unexpected, voice called through the door.

"Fred Weasley. Boyfriend of Annabelle Black and fourth son of Molly and Arthur Weasley. And you're Remus Lupin, family friend of the Blacks and one of the Marauders." Fred called back. It was a habit several of the Order had fallen into recently, identifying themselves to others with bits of information to prove their identity or asking questions only those close to them would know.

The door swung open, revealing the pale, worn-out werewolf. He had a fresh scratch across his cheek, a mark of his mission among the werewolf pack.

"Ah, Fred. Nice to see you. Anna's out tonight, I'm afraid. Having dinner with Tonks." Remus informed him even as he stepped aside to allow the ginger to enter the house.

"I know. I was actually hoping to see Sirius and Wren." Fred informed him, his hands in his pants pockets. "Are they home?"

"We're in the kitchen!" Sirius's voice called from said room. "And Aslan is asking for his godfather!" Sure enough, Fred and Remus could barely hear a toddler's voice babbling what sounded like "Moony".

Remus chuckled tiredly, though not at all fake, and lead Fred into the kitchen.

As soon as they entered the room, Aslan, who was seated on Sirius's lap at the kitchen table, lifted his little hands and shrieked, "Moony!"

Remus chuckled and picked his godson up. "I'll take him to his room to play and leave you all to talk."

"Thank you, Remus." Wren smiled at him from where she was supervising a pot on the stove, the spoon mixing on it's own. She looked exhausted, probably because her job at the Department of Security had been insanely busy since the announcement of You-Know-Who's return.

"What can we do for you, Fred?" Sirius asked, leaning his elbows on the tabletop and folding his hands together in front of him.

"Well, I was hoping I could talk to you two, if that's alright."

"Of course that's alright." Wren assured him. "Have a seat and tell us what's on your mind." she ordered, turning around and leaning back against the counter as her pot stirred itself.

Fred did as told, sitting in the chair across from Sirius. He looked between the couple for a moment, Wren's curious face visible over her husband's shoulder. Fred took a deep breath, leaning his elbows on the table and folding his hands, much like Sirius was.

"I'm here to ask for your blessing…to propose to Anna." he finally said.

Wren's smiled instantly stretched all the way across her cheeks, but she fruitlessly tried to smother it. Sirius's expression was harder to read. The only indication he even heard Fred was his shoulders lifting ever-so-slightly as he took a deep breath.

"Sirius?" Wren prompted when her husband remained silent for several moments.

"Why?" was Sirius's blunt response.

"I'm sorry?" Fred asked, unsure what the question meant.

"Why do you want to marry her? And why now?" Sirius expounded.

Fred thought for a second before answering, "Because I love her. I want to marry her someday, and she wants the same. We've talked about it. We both want the same thing. I'm not saying I'll propose tomorrow and we'll elope next week or anything. It could be a month or two before I actually ask her, and even then, we may decide to have a long engagement. It's all up to her, really. If she wants to have a ten year engagement, that's up to her."

"Aren't you a bit young to be thinking about marriage?" Sirius asked.

"Oh, please, Sirius." Wren rolled her eyes, leaning forward to smack her husband on the back of the head. "We got married right out of school. Fred's merely talking about proposing."

"Exactly." Sirius turned to glance back at his wife. "We got married that soon because you were pregnant." Turning to face forward again, Sirius narrowed his eyes at Fred. "You didn't get my daughter pregnant, did you?"

Fred shook his head quickly. "No, no, of course not. That's impossible. I mean-" Fred stopped talking, his ears going a bit red.

Sirius smirked slightly. Wren, once again, leaned forward and smacked the back of her husband's head. "Sirius! Quit antagonizing the poor boy!"

"Yes, love." Sirius sighed, rolling his eyes slightly where his wife couldn't see. He turned to Fred again and looked him in the eye. "How long have you and Anna been dating?"

"It'll be two years this New Years Eve." Fred answered.

"You've barely been together a couple years and you want to propose? Don't you think that's rushing it a bit?" Sirius asked.

"Maybe for some." Fred admitted. "But Anna and I have been best friends since our first year. I loved her as my best friend long before we started dating. She's been such a big part of my life for as long as I can remember, that I can't imagine my life without her in it. So I think that adds a couple years to the almost two years we've been an official couple."

Sirius smirked slightly. "Nice argument."

"I try."

Sirius's expression became serious once more, no pun intended. "I need you to answer me one question before I even _think_ of giving you my blessing. And I want an honest, detailed answer."

Fred nodded once. "Shoot."

"Why do you love Annabelle?"

Fred thought for a moment. He didn't need to think about his answer, really, but he needed to think of how to word it. How to explain it. "Anna's been my friend for so long, she's…George sometimes says she's like another me to him. And because of that, we know each other better than anyone ever could, apart from George. She knows what drives me, what I care about, my favorite things and biggest fears. She knows _me_ , and understands me. And it's true the other way around.

"I've been there with her through everything. I know what she's scared of, what she wants in life, her favorite pastimes, why she makes certain decisions. I would put my life down for her, even though I know she'd hate herself if I did. I just want to spend the rest of my life with her, making her happy and making sure she knows she's loved and protected. And honestly, she wouldn't even hardly have to do anything to make me happy, because she does it everyday, just being herself.

"That's why I love her."

Sirius stared at Fred silently for several long moments. Wren didn't interrupt this time, she just stared at the back of her husband's head, waiting for his response. Fred maintained eye contact with the man who may one day, hopefully, be his father-in-law, not flinching or even blinking for fear of making Sirius say no.

Finally, Sirius moved. He shifted and Fred held his breath as the dark-haired man held his hand out across the table, offering it to Fred.

"You have my blessing."

XXX

Anna shifted her hold on her brother, hiking him higher up on her waist in the crowded train station of Kings Cross. She was standing next to her parents in December, and they were all dressed in winter clothes, waiting with Molly for the school-aged kids to get off the train for Christmas holidays.

Ginny had still been keeping Anna in the loop from Hogwarts. Of course, Harry had to send Anna a non-biased letter about how the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match went, because Ginny would never admit that she scored nearly every Gryffindor goal. And Ron didn't let a single goal through on his end, either, something the twins didn't quite believe when Anna relayed the information to them.

Anna had still been busy lately. Work was still hectic, and the twins' shop was crazy busy on the weekends, especially with Christmas and New Years around the corner. They also guessed it would be doubly busy with Hogwarts students home for the holidays.

Anna had also been attending a few Order meetings, though Dumbledore hadn't given her another mission since her first one. The night of her first mission, she'd updated Dumbledore on what happened, mentioning the necklace she'd seen even though she didn't have a lot of information on it. Dumbledore had assured her that he knew which necklace she was talking about, and while it was an evil necklace, it wasn't quite what Voldemort would be looking for.

She also tried to drag Tonks out once in a while, even though her cousin seemed to be more and more depressed as time went on. Anna was half tempted to confront Remus on the subject, but she also didn't want to upset him before he was sent back to the werewolf pack, where he may be killed if his head's not in the game.

"There they are." Sirius's voice pulled Anna from her thoughts. Sure enough, she saw Ron's tall head of red hair before she also saw Harry, Hermione, and Ginny.

They greeted the school kids with hugs and hellos. Aslan, upon seeing Harry, wiggled in Anna's arms and reached his little hands for the messy-haired Sixth year. Harry laughed, but happily accepted the toddler into his own arms. Aslan, thrilled to be in the arms of one of his favorite people, leaned his head on Harry's shoulder and snuggled close to him.

"Now, are the plans for Christmas Eve still on?" Wren asked, directing the question at Molly.

"Of course." Molly insisted enthusiastically. When the school kids looked curious, she explained, "You're all invited to the Burrow on Christmas Eve, and everyone can spend the night and spend Christmas all together. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great." Harry admitted happily, which the other three kids agreed with.

"Wonderful. Now, we'll see you all Christmas Eve." Molly stated, moving among the Blacks and Harry to give them all a hug. Anna hugged Hermione and Ginny goodbye before offering to push Harry's trolley so they could head home.

XXX

Anna appeared with a loud _crack_ just outside the protective enchantments surrounding the Burrow. She walked across the front yard and up to the front door, giving a few knocks and waiting patiently.

"Who is it?" Bill's voice called from the other side.

"Anna Black. Molly Weasley invited me and my family to spend the night for Christmas. My parents will be arriving with Harry Potter and my brother Aslan Alphard Black in a couple hours."

The door creaked as it swung open and Bill grinned at Anna.

"Merry Christmas." he greeted her, stepping back and waving her in with a sweep of his arm.

"Merry Christmas." she returned the greeting with a smile as she stepped over the threshold. She slipped her winter cloak off her shoulders and Bill took it, hanging it up by the door. He also took her bag from her and headed for the stairs.

"According to Mum, you're sleeping in Ginny's room, so I'll drop this off up there for you." he told her.

"Okay, thanks, Bill." Anna said with a smile before heading further into the house.

They'd clearly been having fun decorating. The whole living room was an explosion of paper chains. Several people called out greetings to her from around the room.

"Is Anna here?" Molly called from the kitchen, having heard everyone's greetings. She hurried into the room, wiping her hands on an apron tied around her waist. "Oh, Anna, you're here!" she cried cheerfully, hurrying across the room to wrap Anna in a tight hug.

"Hi, Molly. Merry Christmas." Anna smiled, hugging the warm motherly witch in return. "My parents will be coming in a little bit with Harry and Aslan. My mum had to stay a little bit longer at work today."

"Oh, and on Christmas Eve, too." Molly tutted. "Arthur's only just gotten home, as well. Anyway, Fred and George are out in the garden, if you wanted to see them. They're getting some vegetables and things for dinner."

"Okay. I'll go see if they need any help."

With that, Anna turned toward the kitchen and walked out the back door. It wasn't long before she found Fred in the garden. He was pulling carrots and other vegetables from the ground with a few simple waves of his wand, causing them to fly into a small basket on the ground by his feet.

"Hi." she called as she approached him, her feet crunching the thin layer of snow that had recently fallen.

Fred grinned over his shoulder at her. "Hi. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas. Where's George?" she asked, looking around curiously as she reached his side. "Molly said you were both out here."

"Oh, I see how it is." Fred teased, before answering, "He's gathering eggs from the chicken coop. Ron's out here somewhere, too. He's supposed to be chasing off any gnomes he finds around the yard."

As if his words were a summons, Anna saw a tiny gnome scurrying out of the bushes across the garden, surprisingly running straight toward Anna and Fred.

"Um, Fred-" Before Anna could finish, the little gnome, who was about a foot tall and brown with a large head, threw himself at Fred's ankle and bit down.

"Ow!" Fred yelled, jumping and looking down at his ankle. He held his bitten leg out and shook it, but the little creature clung on, his little teeth embedded in Fred's pants, and probably his skin. "Get off, you little ba-"

"What's going-?" George and Ron had appeared around the house, both stopping and staring at Fred's ankle in surprise.

" _Stupefy_!" Anna exclaimed, her wand aimed at the little pest. The gnome's body froze, but his teeth were still embedded in Fred's leg. Anna knelt in the snow by Fred's feet, grasping the little brown body with both hands and trying to pull.

"Ow." Fred deadpanned, making Anna stop and look up at him. "You don't have to stop, just…well, do whatever." Fred shrugged, glaring at the little creature with great dislike.

George knelt next to Anna and carefully pried the gnome's jaws open a bit. This helped greatly when Anna pulled a second time. The gnome's teeth caught in Fred's pant leg for a second, but it came free easily.

"Thanks." Fred grinned at Anna, setting his foot back on the ground. "Now, what are we going to do with you?" he added menacingly to the little creature in Anna's hands.

"I've got an idea!" George grinned. He waved his wand, and suddenly the little gnome was gold colored.

"Brilliant!" Fred beamed, obviously thinking along the same lines as his twin. "It's missing something, though." Fred thought for a moment before waving his own wand. This caused a tiny tutu to appear out of thin air. Anna rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop herself from helping the twins and Ron squeeze the fat little gnome into the tiny tutu.

"Any last minute additions?" George asked Anna and Ron as he held the little gnome up for examination.

Anna bit her lip before sighing in defeat. She waved her wand, causing small wings to appear. She held them up against the gnome's back and waved her wand, muttering the incantation for the Sticking Charm to make the wings stick to the gnome's back.

"There." she nodded once, satisfied with their final product. "Now, dare I ask, what is this for?" she asked the twins.

"Well, we were just thinking earlier that the top of the Christmas tree in the living room was looking a bit bare-" George started.

"After all, how can you have a Christmas tree without an angel on top?" Fred added rhetorically.

"You two broke the last one, that's how." Ron retorted, though he was grinning.

"So we figured-"

"-this little guy would be the perfect angel." they finished, grinning smugly.

Anna laughed, shaking her head at them. "You two are nutters."

"Why, thank you!" they both exclaimed, bowing.

Anna picked up the basket of vegetables while George carried the eggs he'd gathered, and Fred carried in the gnome-angel.

Anna paused in the doorway between the kitchen and living room, still holding the basket, and watched as Fred passed the living room. The family members still gathered there watched curiously as he passed. Then, he waved his wand, sending the gnome up, up, up until the tip of the tree was stuck up the back of the tutu.

Anna shook her head, still laughing as Fred returned to her. He gently took the basket from her hands, leaning down over it to give her a short kiss on the lips.

"There. That's a much better greeting than being bitten by a gnome, wouldn't you agree?" he asked playfully.

"Oh, I suppose." she sighed. "Though it's not quite as entertaining." she added, smiling playfully up at him.

Anna's parents, Harry, and Aslan arrived shortly after that little fiasco and the whole lot of them mingled with the rest of the Weasleys and Fleur.

"I don't understand how your mum can stand this music." Anna whispered as Fred started a new round of Exploding Snap, the song "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love" playing loudly. It was a Weasley Christmas tradition to listen to Celestina Warbeck on the wireless. It seemed no one but Molly actually liked the singer, but few people would dare challenge the Weasley matriarch. Of course, Anna heard her mum claiming she liked a couple of Warbeck's songs. Whether this was true or not remains to be seen. The music was playing quite loudly, making Anna's ears throb, because Fleur kept talking louder and louder in the far corner since she thought the singer was boring. Molly, of course, retaliated by turning the volume up whenever Fleur managed to talk louder than the music.

Sirius, Remus, and Harry were sitting with Arthur by the fire, talking about something while Molly and Wren sat nearby, Aslan dozing on Wren's lap.

"I know." Fred whispered back while Ginny took her turn with the cards. "But none of us have the guts to say anything. Well, expect Fleur over there." he added jokingly.

"Your mum's going to kill her if she keeps it up." Anna joked quietly in return.

"Better her than us." George whispered on Anna's other side. "We're keen to stay on Mum's good side, thank you very much."

Anna's shoulders shook as she managed to keep her laughter relatively silent.

"Hey, are you doing anything the Friday before New Years?" Fred suddenly asked at a more normal volume, glancing at Anna as George took his turn.

"Um, apart from working that day, probably not. Why?" Anna asked curiously after thinking about the question.

"I just figured since our anniversary is in the middle of the week, and we're both working adults now, we could celebrate it a little bit early. Friday night or something." Fred admitted casually.

"Good point. Any specific plans?" Anna asked.

"No details, really. I just wondered if you'd like to have dinner and maybe…" Fred glanced around and scooted closer to Anna, dropping his voice so no one would hear, even though Celestina was doing a smashing job of drowning out any sound anyway. "George isn't going to be home most of the night. So we'd have the flat to ourselves for the most part. If you're comfortable with it you could stay the night." he suggested, his brown eyes soft and fixed on her expression.

Anna chewed her lip slightly as she thought about it. She'd stayed over at the Burrow enough times, and she'd obviously shared a bed with Fred before, but being alone with him in his flat? Especially after a date?

"You know we won't do anything you're not ready for." Fred added softly when she didn't respond right away. His expression was knowing as he looked at her. "But if you're not comfortable with it, you don't have to stay over. You could leave after dinner or something. I just thought I'd put it out there."

Anna smiled, leaning over to press her shoulder against his, her head leaning against his cheek. "I'd like to stay over." she whispered.

Fred turned his head to kiss her forehead just as their deck exploded, almost burning Ginny's fingers as she jumped back. George gathered up the cards again and started shuffling the deck.

… _and now you've torn it quite apart_

 _I'll thank you to give back my heart!_

Celestina Warbeck ended her song with a long, high-pitched note that made Anna's ears ring. Molly applauded enthusiastically with the people on the wireless.

"Eez eet over?" Fleur asked loudly. "Thank goodness, what an 'orrible-"

"Shall we have a nightcap, then?" Arthur interrupted loudly, jumping to his feet. "Who wants eggnog?"

Anna turned and buried her face in Fred's shoulder to hide her smile and muffle any escaped laughter at Arthur's attempt to stop a fight between Fleur and Molly.

George stretched his arms high over his head, leaning back against the couch behind them from their seat on the floor. "If Fleur keeps it up, she won't survive long enough to call Mum her mother-in-law."

"It'll either be Molly or Ginny that finally snaps." Anna joked quietly, smirking across the small coffee table at Ginny, who narrowed her eyes.

"You say that like it's a joke." Ginny stated in a mock-serious voice before smirking deviously. Anna laughed quietly again. "Bill's just lucky he's my favorite brother. If she was Ron's girlfriend, she'd have bats crawling out her nose by now."

Anna, Fred, and George all sniggered to themselves, trying not to draw too much attention to their conversation.

Arthur came around then, passing out glasses of eggnog. Anna thanked him as she took her glass and sipped from it.

"So, what about me?" Anna asked, directing her question at Ginny.

"What about you?" Ginny asked, leaning forward to cradle her glass of eggnog on the coffee table.

"If I were as…well, if I were like her," she said, tilting her head in the direction of Bill and Fleur curled up in the corner, "would I have bats crawling out my nose, or would your opinion of Fred be enough to keep me safe?"

Ginny tilted her head thoughtfully, glancing between Anna and Fred for a few moments of contemplative silence.

"Well," she started slowly, "that's hard to say. I like you a thousand times better than her. But I suppose…Well, put it this way," Ginny finally spoke firmly, leaning forward more to keep their conversation between the four of them, "if Fred were dating Phlegm right now, she'd be one good annoyance away from getting hit by my Bat-Bogey Hex."

Anna and the twins sniggered again, before Fred stopped and looked at his sister. "Wait a minute. You like Bill better than me?" he asked in a mockingly-heartbroken tone. "My own baby sister?"

Anna, George, and Ginny continued to sniggered at him before Fred also cracked a smile and laughed with them.

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing I've got such good taste in women, isn't it?" Fred continued, wrapping an arm around Anna's shoulders and pulling her into his side. Anna shook her head at him, taking a long draw from her eggnog as she settled against his side.

Fleur chose that moment to imitate Celestina Warbeck singing "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love". Anna glanced at Fred, who glanced at George and then Anna before they all looked toward Molly. If looks could kill, Fleur would be six feet under.

Unanimously, everyone started getting to their feet, deciding it was time for bed. Anna put her glass in the sink before heading up the stairs toward Ginny's room on the first floor. From what she'd heard already, she was sharing with Ginny, the twins were sleeping in their own room, Remus was in Percy's old room, Anna's parents were in Charlie's room, and she assumed Aslan was with them so Bill could have his own room with Fleur, Molly and Arthur would have their own room, and Harry and Ron would sleep in Ron's room.

"Just so you know," Ginny paused in her bedroom doorway and turned back to Anna, "we have to share with Phlegm."

Anna managed to keep her expression neutral. "Oh. I thought her and Bill-"

"Yeah, Mum wasn't going to let that happen." Ginny stated, shaking her head with a grin before continuing into her room. "She says they're not married yet, therefore they're not sharing a room. Especially under her roof."

Anna chuckled. "That's a good point. I bet Fleur liked that." she added sarcastically.

"I may have heard her grumbling something in French under her breath when Mum told them." Ginny agreed with a smirk, heading for her dresser across the room. "Of course, I don't speak French. She may have been thanking Merlin."

Anna and Ginny both laughed quietly. "So, where's Bill sleeping then?"

"With Fred and George in their room." Ginny answered. "Mum figured that way Aslan could sleep in Bill's room, since it's on the same floor as Charlie's, where your parents are sleeping."

"That's a good point." Anna agreed.

Fleur entered the room a second later, already dressed in a silk nightgown and bathrobe. She brushed past Anna, heading toward the bed closest to the window.

Ginny's bed.

Anna caught Ginny's eye just as the redhead saw which bed the French girl was choosing. Anna expected a quick-witted response, but Ginny just rolled her eyes and began changing into her pajamas.

Anna closed the door and also changed into her simple pajamas. As Ginny's room was small, they could barely fit the three beds with some space for movement in the room, as well as everyone's bags, a desk, and Ginny's dresser.

Anna also noticed a couple posters around the room. She recognized the picture of Gwenog Jones from a couple years ago. She was the Captain of the all-witch Quidditch team, the Holyhead Harpies; Ginny's favorite team. But Ginny must've got the poster of the Weird Sisters more recently.

Anna sat on one of the camp beds, pushing her legs under the covers just as there was a few quick knocks on the bedroom door. Fleur paused in brushing her long, silver hair.

Ginny narrowed her eyes at the door. "What?"

"Are you ladies all decent?" Fred's voice called through the door.

"Yes." Ginny drew the word out, still narrowing her eyes at the door.

"Good." And with that, the door swung open and Fred marched in.

"That wasn't an invitation into my room, you know." Ginny informed him matter-of-factly.

"I'll just be a second." Fred assured her, already reaching Anna's bedside. Anna watched him curiously, but as she opened her mouth to ask him what he wanted, he ducked down and pressed his lips to hers. Anna blushed, but her eyes fell closed as he pressed his lips firmly against hers, his hand coming up to cradle the back of her head.

It was several seconds before Fred pulled away, though Anna doubted it was because of Ginny's obvious cough. Fred tilted his head so his lips brushed Anna's ear, his warm breath washing over her neck and making her shiver.

"Have a good night." he whispered, kissing her cheek.

Anna's lips tugged up slightly in a small smile. "Goodnight." she whispered in return.

Fred pulled away and gave her one last smile before straightening and heading for the door. He looked back to grin at the room's occupants one last time, saying, "Have a good night, ladies." before he closed the door behind him.

"Well." Ginny stated, smirking over at Anna. "That was certainly a good night for you."

Anna blushed, grabbing her pillow and smacking Ginny with it. "Shut up and go to sleep."

XXX

Anna blinked her eyes open the next morning to find bright sunshine streaming through the window on the far side of the room, glaring straight into Anna's eyes. Squinting, Anna realized that both beds in front of her were empty. She pushed herself up, turning off her side and onto her butt and rubbing her eyes with her other hand.

Ginny was sitting at the foot of her bed, opening the presents sitting there, but Fleur was nowhere to be seen.

"Merry Christmas." Anna mumbled, scooting around and sliding out from under her blanket to slip onto the floor. There was her own pile at the foot of her own bed.

"Merry Christmas to you, too." Ginny grinned over at her before turning back to her own pile.

Anna sat down and began opening her presents, starting with the familiarly-wrapped one that was labeled 'To: Anna Love: Molly and Arthur'.

Within fifteen minutes, Anna had a small pile of present surrounding her, including a black leather briefcase from her dad and Remus, a new navy blazer from her mum, and she was wearing her new jumper from Molly.

She saved Fred's present until last, but was surprised to open a small box and find only a folded up piece of parchment. Taking it out and setting the box aside, she unfolded it and read it.

' _This is not your present._

 _If you want your real present, come see me._

 _Fred'_

Anna's brows furrowed curiously, but she couldn't help shaking her head with a small smile.

She put her things into her bag before heading downstairs dressed in her pajama pants and her new jumper. She found several people already downstairs mingling and headed straight for where the twins were sitting by the fire. She walked up behind Fred's chair and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, kissing his cheek.

"Merry Christmas." she told him and George.

"Merry Christmas." they chorused, Fred's hand coming up to lightly grab her wrist. She noticed his thumb move across her leather bracelet, the one he gave her for Christmas the year before.

"So, what's with the cryptic note for a Christmas present?" she asked Fred curiously, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Fred tilted his head and grinned at her. "You'll just have to see." he teased before slowly standing up. Anna pulled away and stepped back to let him. "Want to go for a walk?" he asked randomly, taking her hand in his.

Anna eyed him curiously before looking down at herself. "Um, do I need warmer clothes?"

"Nah, just shoes. We won't go too far, and it's not that cold out." Fred assured her.

"Okay." Anna shrugged, heading for the front door where her shoes were. She slipped them both on her feet before glancing back. Instead of following her to the front door, Fred was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, looking at her expectantly. Figuring he meant to go out the backdoor, Anna approached him, took his hand, and followed him through the kitchen where Molly and Wren were preparing lunch.

Fred held the door open for Anna to go out first. They stepped outside and the door made a click as Fred shut it behind them. Fred then took Anna's hand in his again and lead her around the corner of the house, probably to get away from any windows, especially the kitchen window where their parents would surely spy on them.

"So, what's this all about?" Anna asked curiously, leaning her shoulder on the side of the house as Fred turned to face her.

"Well, I just wanted to see your face when you get your Christmas present." Fred admitted, pulling a small, wrapped box from his pocket.

"Ah. I figured that's what it was." Anna nodded, glancing at the small box Fred was holding.

Fred grinned slightly as he held the box out to her. Anna slowly took it from him, noticing her hands were shaking slightly. Thankfully, Fred didn't comment, but his eyes were fixed on Anna's face as she looked down at it. A small part of her was wondering if he was-but no. No, he couldn't be proposing…would he?

Taking a deep breath, Anna ripped off the wrapping paper, revealing a small cardboard box. She doubted, if Fred was indeed proposing, he'd put an engagement ring in a cardboard box, but then again he always was unique.

Finally, she flipped open the box's lid and looked inside.

The box was empty apart from a small, silver charm. It was less then an inch tall, and the weasel was standing up on it's hind legs, the small hook coming out of the top of the weasel's head.

"I figured you could put it on your bracelet." Fred whispered, and Anna looked up at him, not realizing her lips had parted in amazement. "You know, weasel. I just thought of you when I saw it."

Anna's mouth closed and her lips pulled up into a smile. "I think it's perfect." she whispered.

Fred grinned before reaching into the box to take the charm. Anna held up her hand so he could see her bracelet. His fingers fumbled a bit with the tiny clasp on the charm's hook, but after a few seconds he succeeded in attaching the charm to the bracelet. Anna kept her hand where it was so she could examine the bracelet.

The top of her leather bracelet was about an inch wide and there were dates engraved on the smooth surface, reading _'9-1-89'_ and below that _'12-31-94'._ The ends were woven until they could clip together, and now her new charm was dangling from where the ends connected.

"I love it." Anna stated simply, looking up at Fred and smiling. He grinned in return, but Anna winced when a snowflake landed in her eye. She looked up, unsure when it'd started snowing, only to realize it was only snowing over Anna and Fred…

And there was a mistletoe magically hovering over their heads.

Anna let her eyes drop back to Fred's pleased expression. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Should've seen that coming, shouldn't I?" she asked him rhetorically.

"Probably." Fred grinned, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. After several moments, he pulled back enough to whisper against her lips, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Anna whispered in return, shifting to snuggle into Fred's chest.

They stayed snuggled together for a few moments before Anna heard the scraping of a window being pushed open and Molly's voice calling outside, "Fred! Anna! Lunch is almost ready!"

Anna and Fred chuckled slightly as they pulled apart.

"That woman sure likes to ruin the moment." Fred joked, wrapping an arm around Anna's waist and leading her back around the house toward the backdoor.

"She doesn't like to." Anna argued playfully. "But I can see where Ron gets his horrible timing."

Fred let out a short laugh before opening the door for her and letting her enter ahead of him.

Anna sat between Fred and her dad as everyone took their seats at the table. Anna also noticed nearly everyone was wearing a new sweater, obviously knitted by Molly. The only one who wasn't wearing one was Fleur, and Anna suspected that wasn't accidental or due to Molly having no time.

"I love your hat, Molly." Wren commented as she set Aslan in Sirius's arms, the one year old wearing a new crimson sweater like everyone else. "And your necklace." Anna glanced at Molly to see what her mum was referring to. Indeed, Molly was wearing a brand new witches hat in midnight-blue that glittered with tiny starlike diamonds. She was also wearing a beautiful gold necklace around her neck.

"Fred and George gave them to me!" Molly exclaimed, "Aren't they beautiful?"

"Well, we find we appreciate you more and more, Mum, now we're washing our own socks." George informed her, waving his hand buoyantly. "Parsnips, Remus?"

Fred passed Anna the plate of turkey, which she scooped a couple slices of onto her plate before passing it to her father, who was serving both himself and Aslan.

Ginny, sitting across from Anna, narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly. "Anna?" Said girl looked up at her. "What's that on your bracelet?"

Anna blushed as a few other people at the table glanced her way. She self-consciously brought her hand to her chest and fiddled with her bracelet and it's new charm.

"Oh, um,…just Fred's Christmas present." she admitted sheepishly, glancing around.

"Can I see?" Ginny asked curiously.

Anna slowly held her hand up, aware that a few other people were looking at it as well.

"A weasel, isn't it?" Remus noted from a couple seats from Ginny, across from George. "Fitting."

Anna blushed at his tiny smirk, which she noticed George was reflecting. "I've no idea what you mean." she stated casually, scooping some mashed parsnips onto her plate.

Their conversation was interrupted when Ron accidentally sent the gravy boat flying in his attempt to pass it to Fleur. Luckily, Bill saved it with a mere wave of his wand, sending the gravy back into the boat, which returned safely to the table.

"You are as bad as zat Tonks." Fleur told Ron after giving Bill a thank-you kiss, making Anna narrow her eyes slightly. "She is always knocking-"

"I invited _dear_ Tonks to come along today." Molly interrupted, practically slamming the bowl of carrots down onto the table with a glare at Fleur. "But she wouldn't come. Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?"

"No, I haven't been in contact with anybody very much." Remus replied while Anna stared at him. "But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn't she?"

Anna narrowed her eyes at him slightly. He seemed relatively composed as always, but he was very interested in his plate, as well. As if he didn't want to look into anyone's eyes.

"Hmmm. Maybe." Molly conceded. "I got the impression she was planning to spend Christmas alone, actually."

Then, the annoyed look she sent Remus made it clear to Anna that she also knew what was going on between Dora and Remus.

Anna silently reminded herself to talk to Remus alone soon. She'd spoken with Dora plenty recently about her feelings for Remus, but she got the sense she should be speaking with him, since that's where most of the problems seemed to be coming from.

"Arthur!" Molly suddenly exclaimed, making several people jump. She had risen from her chair, her hand pressed over her heart as she stared out the kitchen window. "Arthur-it's Percy!"

 _"What?"_

Everyone moved to look out the window, most simply looking over their shoulders, like Anna, or leaning over to get a good look. Ginny went as far as standing up to see better.

Sure enough, Anna saw Percy Weasley walking across the snowy yard, his horn-rimmed glasses glinting in the sun. Following along behind was a man in a snow-flecked black cloak, a messy mane of graying hair flowing behind him in the wind. He had a slight limp and Anna knew she'd seen him in the papers as well as a few glimpses at work.

"Arthur, he's-he's with the Minister!"

Anna shared a brief look with Fred before the backdoor swung open and Percy stood in the doorway.

There was a moment of painful silence. Anna glanced at Fred and George. Both of them had tense jaws, their eyes narrowed coldly upon their older brother.

There was a moment of silence before Percy, staring blankly as if through them, said in a stiff voice, "Merry Christmas, Mother."

"Oh, _Percy_!" Molly exclaimed, throwing herself into her son's arms.

Rufus Scrimgeour, the new Minister of Magic, stood in the doorway behind Percy, leaning on his walking stick. He was smiling at this seemingly-heartwarming scene between mother and son.

But to Anna, this scene was more sad than anything. Maybe even a little disgusting. Molly, of course, was overjoyed at the sight of her son. Percy, on the other hand, stood stiffly and with his arms at his side as his mother hugged him, his eyes fixed firmly on the far wall.

"You must forgive this intrusion." Scrimgeour told them when Molly finally pulled away, smiling widely and wiping her teary eyes. "Percy and I were in the vicinity-working, you know-and he couldn't resist dropping in and seeing you all."

Anna couldn't help thinking what a big, fat lie that was. Percy looked like he'd rather be standing butt naked in the Slytherin common room than in his childhood kitchen. He was standing awkwardly, his eyes fixed above everyone's heads. Anna glanced around the room, noticing Arthur and the twins wore stony expressions.

"Please, come in, sit down, Minister!" Molly insisted, straightening her hair. "Have a little purkey, or some tooding…I mean-"

"No, no, my dear Molly." Scrimgeour interrupted. "I don't want to intrude, wouldn't be here at all if Percy hadn't wanted to see you all so badly…"

"Oh, Perce!" Molly exclaimed tearfully, reaching up to kiss his cheek. He looked very much uncomfortable and Anna was almost tempted to feel bad for him.

Almost.

"…We've only looked in for five minutes, so I'll have a stroll around the yard while you catch up with Percy. No, no, I assure you I don't want to butt in! Well, if anybody cared to show me your charming garden…Ah, that young man's finished, why doesn't he take a stroll with me?"

Anna felt her father grow tense at her side, and she couldn't help narrowing her eyes and glancing between Scrimgeour and Harry, whom the Minister was referring to. It was highly unlikely Harry had been chosen at random, since Anna knew from Order meetings that Dumbledore had been preventing the Minister from meeting Harry at all costs. Plus, Fleur, Sirius, Ginny, and George also had empty plates besides Harry. It would've made more sense to chose a Weasley to give him a tour, since it was their home.

"Yeah, alright." Harry broke the silence.

Anna glanced nervously at her father, who began to stand up, as did Remus.

"It's fine." Harry told them as he moved around the table.

"Wonderful!" Scrimgeour beamed, stepping back to let Harry pass him out the door. "We'll just take a turn around the garden, and Percy and I'll be off. Carry on, everyone!"

The door clicked shut behind them and the kitchen was once again thrown into a tense silence.

"Well, Percy, why don't you sit down?" Molly insisted warmly. "We have some of your favorites!"

"No, thank you, Mother. I've already eaten." Percy declined stiffly, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"So, you were just in the area, huh?" George asked cynically. "'Working' on Christmas Day?"

Percy's blue eyes flickered slightly in George's direction behind his horn-rimmed glasses, but they otherwise continued to avoid his family. "Yes. We're quite busy at work."

"Yeah, the Ministry's just doing a smashing job, isn't it?" Fred agreed dryly. "Arresting innocent people to make it look like they're doing something while real Death Eaters run rampant."

Anna grabbed Fred's hand in hers atop the table and squeezed it a little harder than normal, silently telling him to shut up as Percy's ears turned red and his eyes narrowed.

"Fred, that's enough." Molly snapped. "We should just be happy Percy's here for Christmas."

"Yeah, happy he's here so his boss can have a private word with Harry." Ginny snipped, eyeing Percy with dislike.

"Ginevra!" Molly snapped.

"She's just stating the obvious, Mum." Ron argued, also glaring at Percy.

"Alright, how about we all calm down?" Remus suggested calmly.

"Yeah, Percy would never've come here on his own. His boss made him." George agreed, as if Remus hadn't spoken. "Probably offered him another promotion if he went along."

"But I guess that means Percy's definitely a Gryffindor." Fred added, his narrowed eyes still fixed on his tense older brother. "He's got at least some nerve to step foot in this house after everything he's said and done."

"I never said anything that wasn't true." Percy snapped. "And you can't judge me just for wanting a better life for myself, for actually having some ambition to get ahead in life-"

"Fred and George have ambition, and they didn't have to blow off the family to get it accomplished." Ginny pointed out sharply.

"Oh, yes, the joke shop. I'm sure you're so proud." Percy ranted sarcastically, his eyes cutting to his parents. "School dropouts, no NEWTs, and now running a stupid joke shop, selling rubbish so no one will take them seriously."

"Say that to our faces, you-" Fred and George both stood up, their chairs skidding back. Anna stood up quickly, pressing a hand to Fred's chest.

"How dare you come in here and start this!" Arthur roared, very unlike his usual calm self. "You made it very clear you want nothing to do with this family, yet you set foot here on Christmas Day!"

"Arthur, please, don't-" Molly pleaded, tears coming to her eyes for a completely different reason than before.

"No, Mum, Dad's right." Bill stood up, speaking quietly. His blue eyes were cold as he stared at his brother, his hand rested on Fleur's shoulder. "After some of the things Percy dared to say, he's got no right to be here, especially under false pretenses. He doesn't want to be here, the Minister made him so he could speak with Harry alone."

"No, Bill, I'm sure that's not-" Molly tried to argue.

"No, Bill's right. I don't want to be here." Percy snapped. "You've all sided with Dumbledore, who's made it clear he's against the Ministry. Even though he claims we're all on the same side, he's been fighting the Ministry at every turn, and I'll have no part of it, or anyone who's sided with Dumbledore."

"Then get out." Fred snapped, angrier than Anna had seen him. "If you don't want to be here, get out and don't come back."

"Gladly." Percy snapped, glaring at Fred. Anna wasn't even sure he'd noticed her standing practically in front of his brother. "At least I won't keep company with liars and manipulative-"

He was cut off by Fred snatching up a handful of the mashed parsnips and flinging it across the room, smacking Percy right in the face. George and Ginny quickly did the same, causing the lumpy white mash to cover his glasses and drip from his face.

Percy angrily stormed from the house, and Anna noticed Harry coming back inside, leaving the Minister to leave, as well.

Molly burst into tears, and Wren hurried around the table to pull the crying mother into a hug. Everyone else glanced among themselves, either looking awkward or still angry. Anna looked up at Fred again and noticed that, despite the lingering anger in his gaze, he was pointedly refusing to look at her. She wasn't sure why, because she'd seen him angry before.

"Fred?" she whispered, lifting a hand and resting it against his cheek. He still wouldn't look at her. "How about we go upstairs?"

Fred swallowed, causing his Adam's apple to bob slightly.

"Please, Fred." Anna whispered, not wanting to draw attention to their exchange.

"Fred." Finally, said twin looked over at George, who had spoken his name. George gave him a look that Anna couldn't quite read. Then, George nodded once tensely. Fred sighed through his nose before nodding and taking Anna's hand in his, leading her through the house and up the stairs.

Anna wasn't sure where they were going, but Fred took her to the second floor and pulled her into his and George's room, closing the door behind them. The room was mostly filled with cardboard boxes and a desk, but there were a few temporary beds from the twins and Bill sleeping there. Anna was mildly surprised that there was a lingering scent of gunpowder from all the twins' experiments, and it actually made her feel safe because it reminded her of Fred.

Heading toward the nearest bed, Anna sat down and patted the space next to her. Fred sighed and sat down heavily, resting his elbows on his knees. Anna scooted closer, resting a hand on his upper back between his shoulder blades. She stared at him for a few moments, noticing his troubled, sad expression. Leaning forward, she rested her lips against his temple, letting them just stay there for a moment. When she spoke, her lips moved against his skin.

"Talk to me. Please."

Fred sighed again, running a hand through his hair. Anna lifted her head, only for Fred to wrap his arms around her and place her on his lap sideways. He stared at her for a few moments, and Anna stared at him in return, trying to read the look in his eyes.

"Fred-"

"It's about what he said about you."

Anna's brows furrowed in confusion. "What? What are you talking about? He didn't say-"

"After You-Know-Who returned." Fred explained. "When Percy first disowned us all and moved out. He said things about you that I never wanted to tell you about."

Anna finally understood. At least somewhat. "Oh. But…why are you suddenly so angry about that now?"

"It's not sudden. I've always been angry about it."

"You know what I mean. You snapped back there."

Fred sighed again, lowering his head to rest it against Anna's shoulder. Anna shifted slightly so she could slip her hand under his arm to scratch his back lightly.

"He called you a liar." Fred mumbled. Anna paused. Fred didn't lift his head, but continued to talk into her shoulder. "He was talking about Harry, and how Harry was obviously lying about You-Know-Who returning. And then he started talking about how you probably lied…about Flint. Said you probably just wanted the attention and that we shouldn't jump to conclusions just because Flint was a Slytherin.

"That's why I was so angry and hurt by what he said. And that's why no one wanted to tell you about it. I didn't want to hurt you. Percy's an idiot, and I wasn't about to let him hurt you like that."

Anna sighed, her eyes falling closed. She turned her head and kissed the top of Fred's head. She used her free hand to gently urge his face off her shoulders, gently cupping his cheek and jaw in her palm. She tilted her head slightly when his head was straight, and she looked into his eyes.

"Fred, I don't care what Percy thinks about me. I mean, if he can think those things about his own father, than his opinion doesn't mean squat to me. I love you, and you believe me. That's what matters."

Fred smiled slightly, his eyes warm as he looked at her. "Good. I love you."

"Love you, too."

 **XXX**

 **Merry Christmas!**

 **Hope everyone liked this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think!**


	22. You'll Officially be a Weasley Twin

Annabelle arrived in Diagon Alley with a loud _crack_ of Apparation signaling her arrival. She glanced around nervously, the silent, eerie lane making every sound seem ten times louder. Her hand tightened around the handle of her small, overnight bag as she hurried down the lane toward number 93.

Nothing much had happened in the few days since Christmas, apart from Anna going to work and doing a little overtime. She was relieved it was finally the weekend and the only things work-like she needed to worry about was helping the twins at the shop.

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes finally came into sight and Anna almost headed for the backdoor, a force of habit, before she remembered Fred telling her to use the front door. Something about the backdoor being broken somehow.

Heading for the front door, Anna pulled out her key and stuck it in the lock, the charmed key being one of the only ways to unlock the door. That way people couldn't just get in using _Alohamora_. The lock clicked and Anna stepped inside, closing and locking the door again behind her.

She paused, her eyes scanning the main floor of the shop warily as she noticed a few things off. For one, the lights were off like they should be, but there were dozens of lit candles floating near the ceiling, giving a dim-lighted appearance to the shop. The second thing she noticed…

Was the trail of flower petals starting at her feet.

Anna's eyes quickly followed the path, noticing it lead to one of the shelves before disappearing from sight, then reappearing a couple rows down. The petals were white, almost glowing the darkness, the candlelight highlighting them.

Taking a slow breath, Anna let her eyes return to the flower petals at her feet. Looking closer, she realized there were two different sizes of petals. Crouching down, she recognized the petals of oriental lilies and tulips.

A soft smile graced Anna's face, and she shook her head slightly in amazement. This had 'Fred' written all over it.

Standing up straight, Anna carefully stepped over the path and followed it slowly into the shop, hesitant to step on the delicate petals.

She followed the petals around a shelf and down one of the isles. The petals lead first to one of the shelves, and Anna saw a couple petals on each shelf, leading her eyes up to eyelevel. There were a few petals circling the Ton-Tongue Toffees, and a single Dungbomb sat in the middle of the circle.

Anna's smile stretched a little wider. She easily remembered that the first prank she'd ever pulled with the twins their first year was throwing Dungbombs into the Slytherin common room. And if she remember correctly, the Ton-Tongue Toffee was the first product they perfected.

Her heart warmed as she looked back at the trail of petals. Continuing on the trail, she soon found herself staring at the Canary Creams on the shelf. Hers and the twins' second product. Sitting up next to them, partially open so it could stand upright, was the book ' _Curses and Counter-Curses (Bewitch your Friends and Befuddle your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and much, much more)_. This was one of the first Christmas presents she'd gotten the twins. And judging by how worn it was, the binding battered and torn in some places, this was the actual copy she'd given them.

Shaking her head with a smile, Anna continued on after the trail to see what else Fred had in mind for her.

The next product was the Extendable Ears, and with them was some of their Quidditch equipment, including Fred's broom, Beater's Bat, and a Quaffle. After that, the flower petals lead her to the Nosebleed Nougats. With them was a snowball. At first, Anna wasn't sure what the deal was with the snowball, until she realized Fred left a short note with it. Picking it up, she read it over:

' _Did Harry ever tell you that we actually hit You-Know-Who_

 _in the face when we hit Quirrell in the back of the head?'_

Anna laughed slightly, shaking her head. She remembered hitting Quirrell in the back of the head with snowballs, but she'd never realized they hit Voldemort's face, even though she remembered hearing his face was on the back of Quirrell's head.

The next stop was right next to the Nosebleed Nougats; the Fainting Fancies. Sitting next to them was a crystal vial and another small note. Anna picked up the note and read it:

' _Take a whiff._

 _I smell autumn leaves, gunpowder, and my broomstick handle._

 _What do you smell?'_

Anna's brows furrowed curiously, but her smile never left her face. She set the note back on the shelf and picked up the vial. Setting her bag on the ground, Anna used her now-free hand to pluck the lid off the vial. She raised it to her nose and took a slow, deep sniff.

A smile stretched even wider across her cheeks. She smelled a summer breeze, honeysuckle, hot chocolate,…and Fred.

It was Amortentia.

Shaking her head slightly, Anna couldn't wipe off her smile even if she tried. She set the vial back on the shelf and looked back down to see where the petals would lead next.

Picking up her bag again, Anna followed the trail of petals toward the backroom. The petals lead under the closed door. Anna slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

A sudden breeze blew from behind her, sweeping her hair forward and slightly into her face. All the petals seemed to fly from their places in the shop into the back room. They swirled together in a small tornado. When they settled again, they were in a beautiful white bouquet of oriental lilies and tulips leaning against the Pygmy Puff pen.

Anna approached the bouquet and picked it up, pressing the flowers to her face to take a long sniff. She noticed a small note sitting in the flowers and tilted her head slightly to see it properly in the candlelight.

' _If you're done with your little trip down memory lane,_

 _come on up for dinner._

 _Fred'_

Anna chuckled, shaking her head again before heading for the stairs that lead up to the twins' flat. When she reached the door she knocked on it. After a few moments, she slowly pushed the door open.

Like the shop below, the flat was lit only by floating candles, and it appeared to be empty of life.

"Fred?" she called, closing the door behind her and setting her bag down by the door. When there was no response, she slowly took a few steps into the living room. "Fred, I'm here!"

Her eyes swept the room, and she startled when she realized there was yet another note floating in the air in front of her face. Stepping closer to look at it, she read it quickly:

' _Turn around'_

Slowly, Anna did just that, turning to face the way she'd come. But there was nothing new there. Just the door, her bag, and a few floating candles above her head.

Then, the bouquet cradled in the crook of her arm vanished and the petals flew around her. Turning back around, her hand flew up to cover her mouth, which had fallen open in shock.

The petals had formed a large heart on the living room floor, the white glowing against the candlelight. In the very center of the heart, was Fred on one knee, holding a small, black box in his hands. He was dressed in a simple, blue button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, simple slacks, and his warm, always-contagious grin.

"Annabelle Esme Black." Fred spoke in a clear, loving voice, and Anna took in a shaky breath. "My best friend, partner in crime, and the love of my life. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you, as I've stated many times before. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

With that, Fred easily flicked open the small box. Inside was a beautiful ring with a rose gold infinity band and a small, round cut diamond on top.

Anna dragged her eyes from the ring to Fred's face, her lips parted in amazement. He was watching her, his eyes warm and smile easygoing, silently telling her there was no pressure.

Not that that would've changed her answer anyway.

"Yes." she whispered, her eyes stinging and throat tightening as she quickly nodded her head. She whispered the word a few more times as Fred beamed at her. He pulled the ring from the box and took her left hand in his, slipping the ring onto her ring finger.

Once it was in place, Fred carelessly tossed the box aside, stood up, and scooped Anna off her feet. Anna wrapped her arms around his neck as he spun her around, their lips meeting feverishly.

They kissed for several seconds before Fred let Anna slide back to the ground. They pulled away to breathe, but kept their foreheads pressed together. Anna's hands cupped Fred's neck until she opened her eyes. She held up her left hand to examine the ring now resting on her finger. She'd never been one for jewelry before, but she already loved this ring.

"You didn't have to get one this nice." she breathed just as Fred tilted his head to kiss her neck. "I would've been happy with a cheap, 1 Galleon ring."

"How do you know that's not what this cost?" Fred asked, grinning as he pulled back to look down at her.

"Is it?" Anna asked knowingly.

"No, but I'm not telling you how much it cost." Fred told her simply, his hands resting on her waist, thumbs stroking her hipbones.

"Why not?"

"Because you don't need to know." Fred told her, shaking his head. "Just accept it, love. You can repay me by marrying me one day and we can live happily ever after."

Anna couldn't help smiling. Pushing up onto her tiptoes, she pressed her lips to his once more, which he eagerly returned.

The kiss ended too soon for Anna's liking, but Fred insisted it was time to eat dinner. He helped her out of her winter traveling cloak, which he sent to the coat rack with a wave of his wand. Then, he lead her into the kitchen, where there were two plates of spaghetti sitting at the table, candles still floating above their heads to give the room a romantic lighting.

"So, who'd you talk into cooking this?" Anna asked, partially teasing as Fred pulled her chair out for her. He helped her slide it back in after she sat down.

"Very funny." Fred told her, sitting down across from her. "For your information, Mum taught me how to cook spaghetti. It's not that hard."

"Really." Anna was surprised. "Did she know _why_ you wanted to learn to cook?"

"She may have suspected, but all I really told her was I wanted to have a romantic dinner with you for our anniversary." Fred admitted.

"Well, she is the ultimate romantic." Anna noted, before taking her first bite of spaghetti twirled around her fork. "This is really good!" Anna told him, her mouth full and hand slightly covering her mouth.

"Why, thank you! I'm glad you like it." Fred beamed, taking a bite from his own plate.

"So, how many people knew you were going to propose?" Anna asked curiously, glancing down at her engagement ring again. She couldn't help it.

"George knew, obviously." Fred smirked.

"I figured." Anna returned, rolling her eyes slightly.

"And your parents knew."

"Really?" Anna asked in shock.

"Yep. I asked for their blessing." Fred admitted honestly.

Anna's eyes softened. "My _dad_ gave you his blessing?" she asked quietly, almost not believing it.

"Yeah, I was kinda surprised, too, to be honest." Fred admitted with a slight chuckle. "I expected your mum to have to convince him, but she hardly said anything. I managed it on my own."

Anna smiled over at him. "Well, you can be very persuasive when you want to be." she informed him, partially teasing.

"Well, it worked in my favor, didn't it?" he returned.

They finished eating their dinner before Fred told Anna to wait for him on the couch. He set the dishes to clean themselves in the sink and when he joined Anna in the living room, he was carrying two steaming mugs that smelled heavenly to Anna.

"Now, this wouldn't be a proper date…without hot chocolate." Fred stated, passing one mug to Anna before sitting down next to her on the soft, comfy, brown couch.

"Very true." Anna agreed, blowing briefly on the hot beverage before taking a small sip. Fred rested his arm on the back of the sofa, holding his mug in his other hand so Anna could snuggle into his side.

"I don't know if it's hit me yet." Anna stated after several moments of silence. She looked down at her hands cupping the mug, her eyes gravitating toward the diamond glinting in the candlelight.

"What do you mean?" Fred asked quietly, looking down at her.

"This." she said, wiggling the fingers on her left hand. "We're engaged…I'm your fiancé." she said in amazement. It was as if her brain couldn't wrap around it. It was just so amazing.

"Is that good or bad?" Fred asked lightly, his fingers grazing over her shoulder.

"Good." Anna stated firmly, turning and kissing him briefly on the lips. "It's very good. I want to be your fiancé. I want to get married to you…It just feels so…I don't know." she shook her head, unsure how to explain what she was feeling. "It just hasn't hit me yet, I guess. But it will." she assured him, snuggling even closer and resting her head on his chest.

"I sure hope so." Fred chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "And like I've said before, just because we're engaged doesn't mean we have to get married right away. Whatever you want, whatever you're comfortable with."

Anna nodded, sighing slightly through her nose. "Well, Bill and Fleur are already getting married this coming summer. We should probably wait until after that, don't you think? I'm sure having two weddings to plan right after the other would stress your mum out too much, not to mention everyone else involved."

"Well, to be fair, if Mum had her choice she'd have nothing to do with any wedding involving Fleur, but I can see your point." Fred agreed.

"And just because you want to do whatever I want, doesn't mean you have no say." Anna stated firmly, looking up at Fred and meeting his eyes. "I will not be some bridezilla, and if I start to become one, glue my mouth shut or something. You have just as much say in everything as I do."

Fred chuckled, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Deal. I'll make sure you don't go too crazy."

"Good."

They stayed like that for an undetermined amount of time. They eventually finished their drinks, and Fred vanished all the candles and flower petals with a wave of his wand, then lit the fireplace a few feet in front of them, warming the room easily.

Anna knew they could go to bed at any time. She wasn't planning on leaving for the night, but she also wasn't in a hurry to get up, either. She was comfy, warm, and just wanted the night to last forever.

She was on the verge of dozing off when she felt Fred shift slightly, his body turning in her direction. Blinking open her eyes, she glanced up at him. Following his eyes, she looked over the back of the couch to see the front door of the flat peaking open.

George slowly peaked his head in, and seeing them there, he smiled widely and quietly stepped into the flat, closing the door behind him.

"Hi. How's your night been?" George asked lightly, stopping behind the couch and looking down at them both.

"Good. What did you do all evening?" Anna asked casually. She could tell he was itching to know about the proposal, but she wanted to torture him a bit. Luckily, while her right arm was draped over Fred's stomach, her left hand was slightly hidden under both their bodies.

"Visited Katie at St. Mungo's, then went out to dinner and drinks with Lee, Angelina, and Alicia." George answered, glancing between his twin and Anna, but neither seemed to be giving him the announcement he was searching for. "So? Anything _interesting_ happen?" he finally asked.

"Whatever do you mean?" Anna asked, trying desperately at act genuinely confused, but it was hard to smother her smile.

George narrowed his eyes at her, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You need to brush up on your acting." he told her. "So? Come on, out with it. I wanna hear it confirmed." he stated, looking between them both expectantly.

Fred chuckled, kissing the top of Anna's head. "She said yes, obviously, you prat. Did you honestly think she'd say no?"

"'Course not." George shrugged with a grin. "No girl in her right mind would say no to a Weasley twin."

Anna rolled her eyes slightly. "You're too arrogant for your own good."

"Not arrogant. Confident." George corrected her with a smirk. He moved around the couch and sat on the space between Anna and the arm of the couch. Despite Anna being tired and leaning heavily on Fred's side, George snaked an arm around her middle and pulled her up into him. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug and Anna smiled, snuggling into his chest and wrapping her arms around him in return.

"I'm happy for you both." George spoke quietly, as if he were speaking more to Anna even though Fred could easily hear them. "Now you'll officially be a Weasley twin." he added, partially joking.

Anna smiled, burying her face in George's shoulder. Even though he was joking around, that phrase meant more to her than he could understand.

"Good." she whispered.

George pulled back and kissed the top of Anna's head in a brotherly gesture. He grinned at her before standing up, clapping Fred on the shoulder.

"You guys have a good night. Remember I'm across the hall, so please, if you decide to _celebrate_ , keep it down." George told them, smirking teasingly as he rounded the corner.

Anna's face flamed up instantly.

" _George_!" she shouted.

Fred chuckled, shaking his head after his twin. "On that note, how about we get some sleep?" he suggested, standing up and offering a hand to Anna. Anna smiled, taking it and following him down the hall to his bedroom.

After changing into her pajamas, Anna snuggled down under the covers, Fred joining her a moment later. He pulled her close and spooned in behind her, his arm draped over her waist.

"I love you, Anna. Goodnight." he whispered, kissing her neck.

"I love you, too, Fred."

XXX

Anna didn't go home until after the shop closed the next evening, having helped the twins in the backroom making more products. When she did go home, her mother about squealed like a preteen girl when she saw the engagement ring. Harry had no idea what was going on until Anna explained it to him, but he was thrilled either way.

Luckily, Anna was able to visit the Burrow once before the school kids returned to Hogwarts, because she wasn't able to see them off when they returned to school. Molly and Ginny had about the same reaction as Anna's mother. Fleur only commented that Anna's engagement ring wasn't as nice as hers, which Anna ignored.

And of course, Anna owled Charlie the day after Fred proposed to update him. He was thrilled, of course.

Anna was able to say goodbye to Harry before she went to work for the day, but she wasn't there to see him off. They had to take the Floo network back to Hogwarts instead of the train.

"So, do you and Fred have any Valentine's Day plans?" Katie asked curiously, sitting up against the pillows in her hospital bed.

"I haven't heard anything, but that's a couple weeks from now, anyway. I've told him he doesn't need to go overboard, but whether he actually listens is another story." Anna told her, curled up in one of the chairs next to her friend's bedside.

"Ah, yes, you're still grumpy about how much he spent on you in December." Katie noted teasingly.

"I'm not _grumpy_." Anna argued, her eyes falling on her left hand, which was in her lap with her other hand. Her bracelet was on her wrist, her weasel charm still visible, and of course her engagement ring easily caught the light of the hospital room. "I just don't want him spending so much on me. I realize him and George are now doing extraordinarily well financially, and I also know Fred well enough to know he wants to make up for not being able to spend that much on me before. But I just wish he'd realize I don't need all that expensive stuff. I liked all our simple dates when we were still in school. Just lounging in front of a fire, or in the kitchen, drinking hot chocolate or eating ice cream or something. Or our last anniversary, we just went to a park and ate hot dogs for the first part of our date. I like stuff like that."

"I'm sure he also knows all that, to an extent." Katie pointed out easily. "He knows you. And you could always talk to him if he starts to go overboard with the spending."

"Yeah, I know." Anna sighed, smiling.

"And I better be invited to your wedding." Katie added teasingly.

"Obviously." Anna laughed, tucking some of her nearly-black hair behind her ear. "But it'll be a little while. We haven't really set anything in stone yet, well apart from the fact that George is obviously going to be the best man-"

"Well, that was a given."

"Yeah. But we figured we'd wait until after his brother's wedding."

"Which brother? Not Charlie?" Katie asked, sounding both curious and confused.

"No, Bill. He's the oldest. He's engaged to Fleur Delacour."

"Seriously?" Katie's eyes widened slightly. "Wow. Small world. He must be good-looking if he managed to snag her."

Anna laughed. "Well, obviously Fred's the most handsome of the bunch-" Katie snorted, "-but Bill's fairly good-looking. And he has longish hair and dresses a bit like a punk rocker. And he's really cool, to be honest. Of course," Anna chuckled, "Molly and Ginny aren't too thrilled with him being with Fleur, to be honest."

"And why's that?" Katie asked curiously.

Anna shrugged slightly. "Well,…Fleur can be a bit rude…and she's always talking about how much better France is than here. And she's convinced she's better than everyone else. But that's just a guess."

Katie laughed. "Well,…I can also imagine some of the women being a tiny bit jealous of her. She is fairly pretty."

Anna shrugged. "That might be a tiny part of it." she admitted sheepishly. "But I don't have to worry about Fred on that front. He's made it clear he's thinks I'm more beautiful than she is-obviously he's delusional-"

Katie snorted.

"-and he practically ignores her when she's around."

"Well, that's good, then."

"Yeah, I suppose. It's better than Ron, tripping over himself just to get her to look at him."

XXX

Valentine's Day was on a Saturday, so Anna spent most of it helping the twins at the shop. She tried getting Fred to spill what their plans were for Valentine's Day, but he would only say that they were eating dinner. No clues as to where or what they were eating, just that they would be eating dinner after they helped George close the shop.

Anna tried getting George to spill, because if anyone would know what Fred was planning, it was him, but he was too smart to talk. So instead, while the two of them were in the back working on products, George told Anna what he was doing for Katie for Valentine's. Which was just visiting her in the hospital, and he was bringing her white roses and dinner from the Leaky Cauldron.

"Okay, I'm done. I'm gonna stop at the Leaky to pick up my order. It should be ready by now." George called, closing the till that he just finished counting. Anna and Fred were stocking up the shelves, which were all close to half empty after a fairly busy day. The WonderWitch section was especially bare. A couple charmed brooms were sweeping up the store.

"Sure thing." Fred called. "And can you pick up that other thing while you're out?"

Anna glanced up curiously, noting the look the twins exchanged.

"No problem. I have to stop there anyway." George called before heading out the front door of the shop.

"What was that about?" Anna called curiously.

"No idea what you mean!" Fred called before disappearing down an isle to continue stocking up the other shelves. Anna rolled her eyes and continued what she was doing.

George returned ten minutes later, just as Fred and Anna were finishing up closing the shop for the evening.

"Hey, Anna, you can head up to the flat now if you want." Fred called as he met George by the door.

Anna tilted her head slightly, trying to see what George was holding, but Fred's back was blocking her view. "Are you sure I can't help carry something?"

"No, I've got it." Fred called back, glancing over his shoulder and grinning at her. Anna narrowed her eyes, but smiled and headed up to the flat.

"Alright."

Anna reached the flat and kicked her shoes off, plopping down on the couch. Fred joined her a few moments later, hurrying into the kitchen like he was hiding something.

"What are you doing?" Anna asked, looking into the kitchen even though she couldn't see what he was doing.

"Getting dinner ready." Fred called. "Stay there."

Anna rolled her eyes, slouching on the couch. She grimaced slightly, sitting up and stretching her back, which was a bit sore from hunching over the worktable most of the day.

"Alright." Fred finally entered the room. He had his hands behind his back, and Anna could see two plates of food and two glasses floating along behind him. He rounded the couch and the plates and glasses landed lightly on the coffee table in front of them. Then, with a flourish, Fred whipped his arms from behind his back. In one hand was a single lavender-colored tulip.

Anna smiled, accepting the simple flower and holding it to her nose to sniff it. "Thank you. It's beautiful."

"I figured I've given you a lot of bouquets recently, so I thought one simple flower would be more appreciated." Fred told her, sitting on the couch next to her.

"Well, you were right." Anna admitted, putting the flower in a vase that was already sitting on the coffee table. It was empty but already had some water in it, making her think that was what Fred intended it for. "You don't have to give me flowers for every little occasion."

"Ah, yes, like Valentine's Day, our anniversary, and you being in the hospital." Fred agreed sarcastically, rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

"Oh, shush." Anna scolded, reaching over to shove his shoulder.

Fred laughed at her before picking up his plate to begin eating. Anna grabbed hers to eat, too. Having had a very small lunch, they didn't talk much while wolfing down their dinner, as they were both famished.

When Anna had scraped the last of her delicious meal from her plate, she set the empty dish back on the coffee table before leaning back on the couch. She stretched her arms high over her head, arching her back against the couch. Her back popped and she sighed.

"Back hurt?" Fred asked, setting his own empty plate next to hers.

"A bit." Anna laughed lightly. "Being hunched over a cauldron or whatever all day makes for a stiff back."

Fred grimaced slightly. "Sorry-"

"Don't be. I like helping you guys. It's fun. I should probably try to stretch more often." Anna admitted.

Fred looked over at her, eyeing her silently for a few moments. Finally, he turned to face her, pulling one leg up onto the couch in front of him. "Turn around."

Anna furrowed her brows in confusion. "What?"

Fred twirled his index finger in the air. "Turn around so your back is facing me."

"Why?" Anna asked even as she did as asked. She pulled both her legs onto the couch, sitting cross-legged on the couch cushion with her knees touching the arm of the couch.

"Always asking questions." Fred mumbled lightly as he swept her hair over her shoulders, just loud enough for Anna to hear him. Before she could retort, she felt his hands pressing into her back just under her neck, between her shoulders.

"Ooooh." she sighed, her eyes falling closed and her shoulders slumping. "That feels wonderful."

Fred chuckled lowly, but didn't speak as he pressed his thumbs into her muscles, dragging them up and down her spine to work out any knots he found.

They were silent for a few minutes, Anna feeling almost sleepy as Fred worked the soreness from her muscles.

"So, are you doing anything on March first?" Fred finally asked, ending the silence.

Anna hummed, forcing her eyes open to think. "Not sure. What day of the week is it?"

"Saturday." Fred answered promptly.

"Well, then I'll probably be downstairs working on different joke products." Anna answered, wondering where he was going with this.

"Would you be interested in making a little trip with me and George that day instead?"

"A trip to where?" Anna asked warily.

Fred chuckled. "Hogsmeade. Business has been going so well that George and I are considering opening a second location."

"Seriously?" Anna turned around and stared at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm telling you now." Fred smirked. "But really, it was just an idea we've thrown around. Didn't seriously start thinking about it until recently, but then March first popped up on our calendars."

"And March first is so great because…?" Anna urged curiously.

"Well, we were thinking of stopping at Hogsmeade to look into buying out Zonko's. He was always talking about wanting to retire, but business was so great he didn't think it'd be a good idea. But George and I think we can convince him to sell to us. He was always fond of us. And March first and second is a Hogsmeade weekend, and, let's see, what else?" Fred asked himself quietly, though Anna could tell by his tone he was joking. "Oh, yeah! It's also Ron's birthday."

Anna laughed, shaking her head. "You're a prat."

Fred's hands left her back only to tickle her ribs. Anna shrieked, lurching forward only for his arms to wrap around her stomach and pull her back against his chest.

"So, will you come with us?" Fred asked, nuzzling his nose against her jaw.

Anna grinned, tilting her head a bit to look back at him. "I would love to."

 **XXX**

 **I debated updating today, since I'm thinking of updating again on New Years, since that's the day of Fred and Anna's first date, but I figured, why not?**

 **And for those of you who've been asking for more action, considering how boring/uneventful the last couple chapters have been, there will be more action in the next couple chapters, depending on your definition of action.**


	23. Poisonous Gifts

Annabelle stood just behind the twins, listening with half an ear as Fred and George discussed business with Mr. Zonko, the owner of Zonko's Joke Shop. Her distracted eyes kept traveling around the shop and out the window to the street outside. She could see people moving about from shop to shop, but it wasn't nearly as crowded as she was used to seeing on Hogsmeade weekends. Of course, she already knew why that was.

Fred, George, and Anna had arrived at Hogsmeade around three that afternoon. They'd immediately noticed the smaller crowds and lack of school-aged customers in the wizarding village. They headed straight for Zonko's and asked the owner where all the Hogwarts students were, only to receive a disappointing answer. Apparently Hogwarts students were no longer allowed off school grounds on weekends, especially not to visit Hogsmeade. This was most likely due to the possible danger of Death Eaters.

Anna was dragged back to the conversation as Fred and George each shook Mr. Zonko's hand and wished him a good day. Anna smiled and waved goodbye to the shop owner before heading out to the lane. The cool breeze of early spring felt nice on her skin, brushing her hair to one side.

"So?" Anna asked as the door clicked shut behind them.

"Well, I don't think we're going to bother buying Zonko's. At least not right now." Fred admitted.

"No point if kids aren't allowed to go there." George added, sighing disappointedly. "So, what do we do now?" he asked, glancing at Fred. "We can't meet up with Ron and everyone if they can't come down here. Should we head back to the shop?"

Fred glanced down the lane toward the post office. "I suppose we could owl Ron his present."

"Well, we don't have to waste a trip, do we?" Anna asked. "We haven't been here in ages, especially all three of us. We could go to Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks."

"Yeah, let's do it." George agreed eagerly, already heading for Honeydukes. Fred and Anna laughed, holding hands and following George down the lane.

They spent the next few hours hanging out in several different shops in Hogsmeade, even stopping in a few of the shops they hadn't really bothered with during their school years. They made the typical stops in Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks, but also stopped in Dogweed and Deathcap, Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop to buy some new quills for the shop, The Magic Neep so Anna could buy some fruits and vegetables to try cooking with, Tomes and Scrolls, though Fred and George got bored while Anna skimmed through some books, and they also stopped at the Wizarding Wireless Network Headquarters to see what running a radio station was like.

Night had already fallen when Anna decided they should probably head home. So, Fred gripped Anna's hand before the three of them Disapparated, appearing with a _Crack_ in Diagon Alley. They headed up to the flat above their shop, Anna tagging along mostly because she didn't feel ready to go home just yet.

"Well, I'll put these groceries in the kitchen." Fred announced, releasing Anna's hand and carrying the bag of food into the kitchen.

Anna sighed, heading toward the couch to relax. However, she paused when her ears caught a light, quick tapping sound. Looking over her shoulder, Anna saw a barn owl tapping almost frantically at the glass of the window.

Hurrying over, Anna threw the window open and let the owl inside. It swooped in just as George returned from the bathroom.

"Whoa!" he ducked slightly, but the owl didn't attack his face, it just landed on his shoulder. It held its leg out patiently, letting George untie the small note before it swooped back out the window.

Anna's eyes followed the owl before she turned back to George, who was reading the note. His brow creased worriedly before he snapped his head up.

"Fred! We need to get back to Hogwarts! Ron's been poisoned!"

Anna's mouth fell open and there was a moment of silence before something landed with a loud _thud_ in the kitchen. Fred appeared from around the corner of the kitchen.

" _What_?!"

"McGonagall wrote us! Ron's been poisoned, he's in the hospital wing!" George exclaimed, waving the letter around frantically.

"Well, let's go then!" Anna exclaimed.

Fred nodded, grabbing Anna's hand. They disappeared and reappeared with a _Crack_ in Hogsmeade once again, George appearing half a second after them. They all ran as fast as they could toward the castle, huffing and puffing after a while. Without regular Quidditch practices, they weren't as in shape as they once were.

McGonagall greeted them at the gate, letting them in and telling them Molly and Arthur were already there, and that Ron was in the hospital wing. They all nodded and continued on their way to the castle, though at a much slower pace.

Finally, they reached the hospital wing and hesitantly pushed the large double doors open.

The lamps were lit around the room, and the windows were curtained, as it was night outside. All the beds were empty apart from Ron's, which was currently surrounded by Harry, Ginny, and Hermione.

"So, all in all, not one of Ron's better birthdays?" Fred guessed, announcing their arrival as the three younger students glanced over at them. Anna glanced at a clock on the wall as they approached the bed. It was ten past eight.

"This isn't how we imagined handing over our present." George admitted grimly as he put their large present on Ron's bedside table and sat next to Ginny.

"Yeah, when we pictured the scene he was conscious." Fred agreed.

"There we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him-"

"You were in Hogsmeade?" Ginny interrupted George, looking up from her unconscious brother.

"We were thinking of buying Zonko's." Fred answered sullenly. "A Hogsmeade branch, you know, but a fat lot of good it'll do us if you lot aren't allowed out at weekends to buy our stuff anymore…But never mind that now."

Fred drew up a couple chairs beside Harry to sit, Anna sitting next to him. Anna followed everyone's gazes to Ron's pale face. He looked half dead apart from his chest slowly rising and falling as he breathed.

"How exactly did it happen, Harry?" Fred asked, his eyes not leaving his brother's face.

"Well, Ron had eaten some chocolate from Romilda Vane that'd been spiked with a love potion. I tricked him into coming with me to Slughorn's office to get an antidote. After Slughorn cured Ron, he offered us all some mead to drink. Ron drank some before either of us had the chance, and…the mead was poisoned. Slughorn kinda froze, he didn't seem to know what to do, and then I got the bezoar down Ron's throat and his breathing eased up a bit. Slughorn ran for help, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey turned up, and they brought Ron up here. They reckon he'll be alright. Madam Pomfrey says he'll have to stay here a week or so…keep taking essence of rue…"

"Blimey, it was lucky you thought of a bezoar." George muttered.

"Lucky there was one in the room." Harry countered.

Hermione gave a quiet sniff from her seat across from Anna over Ron's bed. Anna glanced over at her, noting that her face was about as pale as Ron's. From Ginny and Harry's letters, she'd been told Hermione and Ron weren't exactly on speaking terms, given Ron's choice in girlfriend. It was clear, though, that Hermione still cared about Ron very deeply, or she wouldn't be this affected.

"Do Mum and Dad know?" Fred asked, looking across the bed at Ginny.

"They've already seen him, they arrived an hour ago-they're in Dumbledore's office now, but they'll be back soon…"

Ginny trailed off and everyone watched Ron as he mumbled in his sleep.

"So the poison was in the drink?" Fred mused when Ron had quieted.

"Yes." Harry answered instantly, sounding eager to discuss it. "Slughorn poured it out-"

"Would he have been able to slip something into Ron's glass without you seeing?" Fred asked sharply.

"Probably," Harry admitted, "but why would Slughorn want to poison Ron?"

"No idea." Fred admitted, frowning. He subconsciously grabbed Anna's hand, resting their entwined hands on his knees and running his thumb over her knuckles. "You don't think he could have mixed up the glasses by mistake? Meaning to get you?"

Anna's breath caught in her throat as she glanced among the others.

"Why would Slughorn want to poison Harry?" Ginny asked.

"I dunno," Fred admitted, "but there must be loads of people who'd like to poison Harry, mustn't there? 'The Chosen One' and all that?"

"So you think Slughorn's a Death Eater?" Ginny asked.

"Anything's possible." Fred muttered darkly.

Anna squeezed his hand and leaned her shoulder against his.

"He could be under the Imperius Curse." Anna suggested carefully.

"Or he could be innocent." Ginny countered. "The poison could have been in the bottle, in which case it was probably meant for Slughorn himself."

Anna nodded slightly, seeing Ginny's point.

"Who'd want to kill Slughorn?" George asked.

"Dumbledore reckons Voldemort wanted Slughorn on his side." Harry announced. "Slughorn was in hiding for a year before he came to Hogwarts. And…and maybe Voldemort wants him out of the way, maybe he thinks he could be valuable to Dumbledore."

"But you said Slughorn had been planning to give that bottle to Dumbledore for Christmas." Ginny reminded him. "So the poisoner could just as easily have been after Dumbledore."

"Then the poisoner didn't know Slughorn very well." Hermione rasped, speaking for the first time since Anna had gotten there. She sounded as if her nose was stuffed up. "Anyone who knew Slughorn would have known there was a good chance he'd keep something that tasty for himself."

"Er-my-nee." Ron suddenly croaked, causing everyone to fall silent and look at him anxiously, hoping he'd wake up. But after a few moments of incomprehensible muttering, he fell silent.

The doors suddenly banged open, causing everyone to jump. They all turned to see Hagrid hurrying into the room. Drops of rain glittered from his hair and beard, his bearskin coat flapped behind him as he strode toward them, his crossbow was in his hand, and he left muddy sled-sized footprints in his wake.

"Bin in the forest all day!" he panted. "Arogog's worse, I bin readin' to him-didn' get up ter dinner till jus' now an' then Professor Sprout told me abou' Ron! How is he?"

"Not bad." Harry answered. "They say he'll be okay."

"I don' believe this." Hagrid croaked, shaking his large head as he stared down at Ron. "Jus' don' believe it…Look at him lyin' there…Who'd want ter hurt him, eh?"

"That's just what we were discussing." Harry answered as Anna quickly stood up to hug Hagrid. "We don't know."

"Someone couldn' have a grudge against the Gryffindor Quidditch team, could they?" Hagrid asked anxiously. "Firs' Katie, now Ron…"

"I can't see anyone trying to bump off a Quidditch team." George commented.

"Wood might've done the Slytherins if he could've got away with it." Fred pointed out fairly. He'd re-gripped Anna's hand on his leg when she returned to her seat.

"Well, I don't think it's Quidditch, but I think there's a connection between the attacks." Hermione pointed out quietly.

"How d'you work that out?" Fred asked curiously, looking across at her.

"Well, for one thing, they both ought to have been fatal and weren't, although that was pure luck. And for another, neither the poison nor the necklace seems to have reached the person who was supposed to be killed. Of course, that makes the person behind this even more dangerous in a way, because they don't seem to care how many people they finish off before they actually reach their victim."

Anna shivered slightly at Hermione's point, which was a good one, but before anyone could comment, the doors opened again and Molly and Arthur hurried into the room. Molly made a beeline straight for Harry and pulled him up into a tight hug.

"Dumbledore's told us how you saved him with the bezoar." she sobbed into his shoulder. "Oh, Harry, what can we say? You saved Ginny…you saved Arthur…now you've saved Ron…"

"Don't be…I didn't…" Harry mumbled awkwardly.

"Half our family does seem to owe you their lives, now I stop and think about it." Arthur agreed in a thick voice. "Well, all I can say is that it was a lucky day for the Weasleys when Ron decided to sit in your compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Harry."

Harry seemed to look very uncomfortable. Luckily for him, Madam Pomfrey left her office to remind them all that only six visitors were permitted around Ron's bed at a time. Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid volunteered to leave, saying family should stay around Ron. Molly and Arthur sat in Harry and Hermione's empty chairs.

"I'll leave, too." Anna whispered, starting to stand up. "I don't want to intrude-"

But Fred tightened his hold on her hand, looking up at her with tired, pleading eyes, silently begging her not to leave yet.

"You don't have to leave, Anna." Ginny pointed out. "You make six, so you're fine. And you're practically family, anyway." she added with a tired smirk.

Anna smiled softly back, returning her butt to the chair and leaning her head on Fred's shoulder. She pulled their entwined hands from Fred's leg to her lap, holding his hand between both of hers and drawing random patterns on the back of his hand with her fingers.

Molly began fussing with Ron's hair and sheets, brushing the ginger locks from his forehead and smoothing the wrinkles out of the white sheets.

"So, what'd you talk to Dumbledore about?" George asked his parents after several moments of silence.

"Just what happened and some possibilities on how this could have happened." Arthur answered lowly.

"Any ideas?" Fred asked, turning to his dad, who was sitting next to him.

Arthur glanced at his wife before turning to Fred, George, and Anna. "Well,…Slughorn said that the mead that was poisoned had been intended to be a Christmas gift for Dumbledore."

"Do you think Dumbledore was the intended target?" Fred asked seriously.

"There's no way to be sure unless we find out who the poisoner was." Arthur pointed out warily, leaning his elbows forward on his knees.

"Didn't they say Katie was trying to get that cursed necklace to Dumbledore, too?" Anna asked, directing the question at the twins.

George nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I think so."

Arthur looked worried. "I'll have to mention that to the Order." he whispered.

Anna swallowed thickly as an idea occurred to her. "I just thought of something…" she whispered, causing the others to look at her. "A while back, Dumbledore gave me a mission. He asked me to look around Knockturn Alley for some…objects. In Borgin and Burkes there was this necklace that I looked at. There was a sign on it warning people not to touch it, because it's cursed. I looked into buying it, like Dumbledore asked, but someone had already bought it. What if it's the same necklace?"

The twins looked anxiously over at their father, who looked just as concerned.

"I'll mention that to Dumbledore. He still has the necklace somewhere, maybe he can show it to you to find out if it's the same one."

They fell into silence for a few moments.

"Do Bill and Charlie know?" Anna asked quietly, glancing down at Ron again.

"I wrote to them while we were in Dumbledore's office." Molly answered, her eyes not leaving Ron's sleeping face. "I told them what happened and assured them both that Ron's fine now."

Anna nodded silently before leaning her head on Fred's shoulder.

They all stayed like that for another hour or so, making small talk, before Fred sighed and glanced around.

"We'll probably get going. There's not much else we can do for him." he commented, glancing at Ron's still-pale face.

"Of course, dear." Molly agreed. "We'll keep you all updated."

Fred, George, and Anna all stood up quietly. Molly stood up and gave them all tight hugs.

"You'll all be at Sunday dinner, won't you?" Molly asked as she hugged Anna last. "And you Anna, of course. And invite your parents and Aslan, as well."

"Of course, Molly." Anna agreed with a smile. "I wouldn't miss it."

"It's only tomorrow." George reminded them with a chuckle. "It's less than twenty-four hours away."

"Hush." Molly swatted him lightly.

"Bye Mum. Bye Dad." Fred and George chorused as the three headed out the hospital wing doors.

"I'll Apparate to your guys' flat with you, and then Floo home from there if that's okay." Anna told them as they were leaving the castle, heading for Hogsmeade so they could Apparate.

"No." George stated bluntly. "That's not okay in the slightest."

Anna scrunched her nose up at him, knowing he was joking. He grinned at her and winked.

Once they stepped off Hogwarts grounds, Fred took Anna's hand, and they Apparated into Diagon Alley, hurrying up the lane to number 93.

"Well, I'm bushed." George mumbled, stretching his arms over his head as they entered the flat. "I'll see you two tomorrow." He turned and looked at Fred for a long moment, and Anna watched as they shared a long look. Then, George stepped toward his twin and they hugged. Anna smiled sadly, seeing Fred and George holding each tightly for several long, silent seconds.

Then, they pulled away and grinned briefly at each other. George kissed Anna's head before turning down the short hallway toward his bedroom.

Fred sighed, plopping down on the couch and kicking his shoes off. Anna watched him for a moment before sitting next to him, watching his face.

Fred finally turned and looked at her, giving her a tired smile. "I'm fine, Anna. Don't look so worried."

"Are you sure?" Anna asked him doubtfully.

Fred sighed heavily, wrapping an arm around Anna and pulling her into his side. She pulled her feet up under herself, snuggling under his arm. "Okay, when George read that letter, I'll admit, I was…terrified." he admitted quietly. "I mean, all it said was that Ron had been poisoned. We didn't know anything. For all we knew, he could've been…" Fred trailed off and pressed his face into the top of Anna's hair. He didn't have to finish his sentence, she knew what he left unsaid. She wrapped her arm around his middle and hugged him tightly. He sighed, his warm breath brushing her hair.

"I'm fine, Anna, really. You heard what they said. Ron's going to be fine, thanks to Harry and Pomfrey. It was just at first that things were…"

"Yeah, I know." Anna whispered. "I hope they catch whoever did it."

"Same here."

"I suppose it's only going to get worse." Anna murmured, her hand subconsciously running up and down Fred's ribs. "People we know and care about are going to get hurt…or killed."

"Yeah. I mean, we knew that a long time ago, but it seems more real than it did before." Fred whispered, his free hand lightly grabbing Anna's forearm and running his fingers up and down it from her elbow to her wrist.

"Do you want me to stay tonight?" Anna asked quietly, turning her head to look up at him. Fred smiled softly, kissing her forehead.

"I always want you to stay. But I'm fine, love. You should probably be getting home soon before your parents worry too much."

Anna sighed. "You're right. I'll see you tomorrow for dinner anyway."

XXX

"But shouldn't we at least have someone look into the case? To ensure we're being fair? I have plenty of time, I could look into it." Anna insisted, the tiny white lie slipping easily into her plea. She was already drowning under her workload with all the cases she was researching, but she had to at least try. It was her duty to the Order of the Phoenix.

But her boss, Mr. Johansson, shook his head firmly at her. "I'm sorry, Annabelle. The Minister's made it clear. Mundungus Fletcher is guilty of impersonating an Inferius. Several witnesses say he did it. He's going to Azkaban. No investigation required."

Anna briefly considered pushing the issue more, but she didn't want to draw attention to herself and have people wonder why she wanted to fight Dung's case so bad. So, she nodded quickly and returned to her cubicle. She spent the next couple hours going through some cases, but it was very hard to focus.

When it was almost time for lunch, Anna got up and decided to ask someone for some help. She left the Investigation Department office and headed down a corridor. She soon came to another room labeled 'Auror Department'. She stepped into the room, noting it wasn't nearly as full as it was the few times she visited her cousin. She assumed most Aurors were out trying to actually catch criminals and other Dark wizards.

She scanned the room, noting her cousin wasn't anywhere to be seen. Probably in Hogsmeade, guarding Hogwarts. Luckily, she saw another familiar face. She walked past a few cubicles until she reached the man she was looking for.

"Um, excuse me? Are you Mr. Shacklebolt?" she asked, making her voice sound a bit uncertain.

Kingsley turned and looked up at her from his seat. They knew each other fairly well from being in the Order, but they needed to keep up appearances. As far as anyone in the Ministry knew, they had no idea who each other was.

"Yes. May I help you, Miss?"

"Do you know anything about the case against Mundungus Fletcher?" she asked as if the name meant nothing to her, passing the file she had on Dung over to the large man sitting before her.

"Ah, yes, I looked into it just this morning." Kingsley noted, flipping through the file anyway. "Unfortunately, the case against him is solid. There's nothing that can be done within legal bounds."

Kingsley quickly jotted a note down on a scrap piece of parchment and pushed it across the desk for Anna to read quickly.

' _Wasn't Order job. He screwed up._

 _Leave it alone.'_

Anna nodded once to show she understood. "That's what I figured, but I thought I'd get a second opinion. Thanks anyway, sir."

"No problem." Kingsley handed her the file, giving her a quick wink. He then flicked his wand at the note, causing it to catch fire, shrivel up, and turn into a pile of ash on his desk. He made it vanish with another wave of his wand before Anna left and returned to her cubicle.

After work, Anna picked up dinner and headed for St. Mungo's, wanting to visit Katie and get her some food that tasted better than hospital food.

"Hi." Katie beamed when she walked in. "Ooh! You brought food." she sat up, looking like her old self as Anna passed her one dish and sat with the other on her lap.

"Yep. So, how've you been?"

Katie sighed. "Well, I tried walking today. It went alright, I suppose. But I couldn't get very far, and the Healers had to help me."

Anna grimaced sympathetically. "Well, you'll get better. It takes time, Katie."

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, do you know how the last Quidditch match went? I haven't heard anything and it's driving me crazy!"

Anna grimaced again, but for a different reason. "I'm not sure you wanna hear about it."

"That bad?" Katie asked uncertainly.

Anna groaned, rubbing her face with her hands. "Possibly the worst match Gryffindor has ever played, to be honest."

"Well, let's hear it. How bad?" Katie asked in a resigned tone.

"They lost 320 to 60." Anna started, making Katie groan. "Cormac McLaggen was the Keeper while Ron was out, and Harry and Ginny say he's a pain in the backside. Apparently what went really wrong was that he stole Peake's bat and accidentally hit Harry over the head with a Bludger, cracking Harry's skull."

Katie gasped in horror. "Why in the bleeding hell would he steal Peake's bat?" she demanded.

Anna shrugged. "No idea. I think he just got it in his head that only he can do anything. He's a bit full of himself from what I've heard. Ginny wrote to me while Harry was in the hospital wing. The whole team is pissed at McLaggen."

Anna left out the fact that Ginny had also mentioned getting in a fight with her boyfriend, Dean, because he'd laughed at Harry when he was hit.

"Well, I sure hope Ron's better in time for the next match." Katie mumbled. "I mean, of course, I want him to be better in general. He had a close call. But I'm sure he's itching to be back on the pitch. I know I am."

"Well, here's hoping you're both better and back on the pitch soon." Anna agreed, taking a bite of her beef and potatoes.

XXX

Anna stood up from her seat on the couch when she heard someone knock on the front door. She patted her hip to ensure her English Oak wand was in her pocket before reaching the door.

"Who is it?" she called, resting her hand on the doorknob.

"It's your cousin Tonks who hates her bloody first name and wants some answers, so answer the bloody door!" Dora's voice called from the other side of the wooden door.

Anna's eyes widened slightly as she quickly opened the door. Dora swept into the room, her traveling cloak billowing behind her. Anna closed the door with a click and turned to look at her cousin. Tonks's hair was dull, her skin pale with purple bags under her eyes.

"Dora, are you okay?" Anna asked worriedly, noting her cousin's expression. It looked like a combination of angry, worried, and impatient.

"Have you heard anything?" Dora demanded.

"Um-"

"About the Order. Anything at all?" she demanded a bit more desperately.

Anna thought quickly. "Um, well, Dung was arrested a few days ago-"

"Not that. I already know about that." Tonks waved her hand impatiently. "What about Remus? I've been in Hogsmeade and haven't been hearing anything. I tried asking Dumbledore at Hogwarts, but he wasn't there. But Remus practically lives here when he's not with the pack, you must know something, right?"

Anna sighed. "I'm sorry, I haven't. Remus hasn't been here in a few weeks or so. All I really know is that he's with the pack, but I have no clue what he's doing. I'm sorry, Dora, I wish I knew more."

Tonks's shoulders slumped in defeat, her eyes glistening slightly before she dropped her head so Anna couldn't see. Anna watched her cousin for a moment before stepping forward and hugging her tightly. Tonks remained still for a moment before hugging Anna back, burying her face in Anna's shoulder.

"How about I brew us some tea, and then you can help me bake a batch of biscuits?" Anna suggested quietly. "Any kind you want."

Tonks sniffed slightly before chuckling and pulling away from the hug. "Chocolate?" she suggested, giving Anna a small smile while Anna ignored the fact that her eyes were red and watery.

"Sounds perfect." Anna nodded once before leading her cousin into the kitchen.

XXX

Anna hurried down the dreary, cobblestone lane until she reached the familiar, colorful joke shop. She pushed the door open and peaked inside, seeing George stocking some empty shelves. He glanced over at her, looking surprised. There was another hour before they closed for the day.

"Hi, can I quick write and mail a letter in here?" she asked, breathing a bit heavily since she'd practically ran there from Knockturn Alley.

"Um, yeah, sure. There're some owls in the backroom." George told her in a perplexed tone.

"'Kay, thanks, George." Anna called, hurrying past him and into the backroom, barely hearing Fred ask if Anna was here before the door swung shut behind her.

She set her shoulder bag on the worktable and pulled parchment and a quill and inkwell toward her. She stayed standing, bending over the parchment to write.

' _Dear Hagrid,_

 _I'm so sorry about Aragog, and I'm sorry my letter took a bit longer to get to you. I had work today and wanted to send a gift for his burial, since I won't be able to make it. I remember you mentioning that the other Acromantulas tried to eat Aragog's body when he died, so I thought of something that may help to keep them from approaching his grave and trying to dig him up. It's a snakeskin bag, and inside it is a vial of Basilisk venom. That should keep the spiders away. You can bury it with him or put it near his grave, whatever you'd like._

 _I wish I could be there for the funeral. I truly am sorry, Hagrid._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Love, Anna'_

Anna quickly skimmed the letter before deciding it was fine. She fold it up, tied it to the small snakeskin bag she'd mentioned, and approached a nearby Barn Owl to tie it to the bird's leg.

"I need you to take this to Rubeus Hagrid at Hogwarts school." Anna told the owl as she opened the backdoor to the outside. "Please get it to him as fast as you can."

The owl hooted before taking flight out the open door.

"So what was that about?" Fred's voice asked curiously, causing Anna to turn and look at him where he was standing just inside the room.

"Hagrid's Acromantula Aragog died last night, and he's burying him tonight, so I tried to get a response and a gift posted to him as fast as possible." Anna explained, not mentioning where she got the gifts. Her dad gave her the snakeskin bag, as they had one at Grimmauld Place, but she had to buy the venom in Knockturn Alley. She'd worked through her lunch break so she could leave work an hour early, buy the venom, and post it. With luck, Hagrid would get it by eight that night.

"Oh, okay." Fred nodded. "He doing okay?"

Anna shrugged, crossing the room toward him. "He's upset, but he'll be okay eventually. Sorry for barging in here, I was in Diagon Alley and really needed to post it."

"No, that's fine. I always enjoy you stopping in." Fred assured her, closing the distance between them and wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her close. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Please, barge in all you want."

Anna laughed, wrapping her arms around his lower back in return and laying her head on his chest. "Whatever you say, Freddie."

"Wanna stay for dinner?"

"I should get home for dinner, actually." Anna admitted. "But I can eat dinner with you guys on Saturday, if you want."

"Sure." Fred grinned, leaning down again to kiss her on the lips.

XXX

"Hey." Anna greeted Fred when she walked in the backroom of the shop the morning of the last Saturday of May.

"Hey." Fred greeted her distractedly, pouring over a book on the worktable. A moment later, his head snapped up and he stared at her. "Heeeeyy." he repeated, drawing the word out in a suspicious tone.

Anna paused before slowly setting her bag on the ground, her eyes fixed warily on him. "Um, are you okay?" she asked slowly.

"Did you know?" he asked simply, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Know what?" Anna asked, completely confused.

Fred was silent for a few moments as he surveyed her. Then, he finally answered, "About Harry Potter…and my sister."

Anna blushed and instantly turned to whatever was on the worktable, though she ended up just fiddling with empty vials and shredded leaves.

"You did!" Fred exclaimed, his tone accusing, though not really angry. "You knew Harry and Ginny were dating and you never told me!"

Ginny had broken up with her boyfriend Dean the night of Aragog's funeral. Ironically, Ron broke up with Lavender Brown that same night, too. Since the breakup, Anna noticed that Ginny seemed more like her old firecracker self. It also seemed to improve her Quidditch playing, not that she needed much improvement to begin with. It also may have had something to do with Dean not being on the team anymore, with Katie's return to Hogwarts about a month ago, the day after Aragog's funeral.

With Katie back, the team had been better than ever. Unfortunately, Harry managed to snag a detention for every Saturday, including the day of the final Quidditch match against Ravenclaw. With him out, Ginny took his spot as Seeker, and Dean returned as a Chaser. Even without Harry, Gryffindor managed to win the match and the Quidditch Cup.

Ginny wrote to Anna late the night of the match to tell her how it went, and of course she mentioned how Harry kissed her in front of the whole Gryffindor common room. Now they were officially dating. However, Ginny had asked Anna not to tell anyone, so she didn't know how Fred found out.

"How'd you hear about it?" Anna asked, glancing over at him.

"How'd _you_ find out about it?" Fred countered, smirking slightly.

"I asked first."

"Fine. Ron wrote to everyone in the family earlier this week."

"…Ginny told me…" Anna admitted slowly.

"When?" Fred asked knowingly.

Anna sighed. "I got the letter…the morning after it happened." she finally admitted sheepishly.

"Traitor." he stated, pointing a finger at her.

"Oh, shush." Anna rolled her eyes. "Ginny asked me not to tell. It's not my fault Ron can't keep his mouth shut."

"Harry snogged my sister in front of the whole common room." Fred pointed out. "And are you more loyal to Ginny than me, now?"

"Oh, be quiet!" Anna laughed, chucking a balled up piece of parchment at him. "We didn't tell our families we were dating for months."

"And whose fault was that?" Fred teased, standing up and approaching her. She waited warily, but he merely reached over her head to grab a quill off the table. She then felt him kiss the top of her head. "I'll forgive you this time. But expect a Howler from Charlie. After all, you did promise to keep him updated on stuff like that."

Anna sighed, rolling her eyes skyward. "You Weasleys are a handful."

"Why, thank you."


	24. Battle of the Eight Potters

Annabelle yawned, stretching her arms over her head and over the back of the couch. Aslan was asleep on the couch with her, his head on her lap and his blankie tangled around him. June was mere hours from coming to an end, and Anna was trying to mentally convince herself to get up and go to bed.

"I should put him to bed." Wren noted, entering the living room. Anna nodded, letting her mother take her little brother from her and carry him upstairs.

The room settled into a comfortable silence once again, the only sound being the crackle of the fireplace. Anna was lounging on the couch, her father sitting in the armchair nearby. He had a bottle of butterbeer in one hand and his eyes were fixed on the fireplace.

The silence was cut short by a flash of light shooting through the window. Sirius dropped his bottle in shock and Anna sat bolt upright as the large, silver creature twisted into existence on their coffee table. It was lean with shaggy fur, four long legs, and pointed ears. The wolf patronus's jaws parted and Remus's voice emerged.

 _"Sirius, you need to get to Hogwarts now. The Death Eaters attacked. Dumbledore's dead, and Bill is injured. We're in the hospital wing, McGonagall said you can enter through her fireplace."_

A small gasp made Anna look toward the stairs, where her mother was standing. Wren's face was pale and her lips parted in horror. Anna was sure her expression was similar. When she turned her head toward her dad, he looked just as horrified.

"I need to go." Sirius stated unnecessarily, crossing the room to his wife. He gently took hold of her upper arms, looking down at her. "Will you-"

"I'll be fine here. I need to stay with Aslan." Wren stated quietly. "Go. Just make sure to tell me what's going on soon."

"I will." Sirius promised, kissing her forehead. He turned to his daughter, who was still standing by the couch. "Do you want to stay with your mother or-"

"I'm coming with you." Anna insisted instantly. "Let's go. Now."

Sirius nodded once before they both approached the burning fireplace. Sirius took a pinch of Floo powder off the top of the fireplace, tossing it into the flames. When they flashed green, Sirius took Anna's hand and they stepped into the fireplace, getting swept away.

They stumbled out of another fireplace into what Anna recognized instantly as McGonagall's office. Without stopping, Anna and Sirius bolted from the room and down the corridor toward the hospital wing on the same floor.

As they rounded a corner, Anna saw three people just ahead of them, running like their lives depended on it. The red hair told Anna the people in the front were Molly and Arthur, and the silvery-haired woman behind them was probably Fleur. Knowing they were worried about Bill, Anna didn't call out to them, she just continued with her father toward the hospital wing.

The trio ahead reached the hospital wing several seconds before Anna and Sirius, throwing the hospital wing doors open until Anna heard them bang against the walls from down the corridor. Anna reached the same doors several seconds after them with her father. They had slowly started to close again after bouncing off the walls and Anna pushed them back open much more gently than the Weasleys had.

Molly and Arthur had seemingly just reached Bill's bedside, and Molly was kissing his bloody forehead. Anna caught a glimpse of his bloody, mangled face from around their shoulders and her stomach clenched at the sight.

"You said Greyback attacked him?" Arthur asked Professor McGonagall in a distracted voice. "But he hadn't transformed? So what does that mean? What will happen to Bill?"

"We don't yet know." McGonagall answered, looking helplessly over at Remus, as if hoping he'd provide some answers.

"There will probably be some contamination, Arthur." Remus admitted. "It is an odd case, possibly unique…We don't know what his behavior might be like when he awakens…"

Harry approached Anna and Sirius, and Sirius instantly wrapped the young boy in a tight hug. Anna dazedly moved closer to where Dora was standing nearby, but her eyes remained fixed on Bill's bloody face. Molly had just taken from ointment from Madam Pomfrey, and it's vile odor was drifting towards her from the distance.

"And Dumbledore…" Arthur continued. "Minerva, is it true…Is he really…?"

Anna glanced over in time to see her former Transfiguration Professor nod her head.

Unable to keep her eyes from Bill for too long, Anna looked back toward the eldest Weasley child. She couldn't imagine the pain his family was in. Then, her eyes were drawn to the light-haired half-Veela that was proposed to marry said injured redhead. Fleur appeared to be frozen, staring down at Bill with a face much paler than her usual flawless complexion.

Molly began to cry over her son, and Anna heard her speaking, but her eyes remained fixed on Fleur, wondering if this would break the French witch. War was a difficult time for everyone, and she wondered if Fleur couldn't take seeing her fiancé like this. Just the thought of seeing Fred in that bed, face bloodied and ravaged, made her feel physically ill.

"Of course, it doesn't matter how he looks…It's not r-really important…but he was a very handsome little b-boy…always very handsome…and he was g-going to be married!"

"And what do you mean by zat?" Fleur demanded, snapping out of her trance. "What do you mean ''e was _going_ to be married'?"

Anna's mouth fell open while Molly looked up at Fleur with a startled, tear-stained face.

"Well-only that-"

"You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore?" Fleur demanded. "You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"

"No, that's not what I-"

"Because 'e will!" Fleur declared, pulling herself up to her full height and tossing her mane of silvery hair over her shoulders. "It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!"

Anna and Dora exchanged a wide-eyed glance while Molly stuttered slightly over her response.

"Well, yes, I'm sure, but I thought perhaps-given how-how he-"

"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or perhaps, you hoped?" Fleur continued, her nostrils flaring angrily. Anna half expected her to transform into one of those scary sharp-beaked creatures with scaly wings the Veelas at the World Cup turned into. "What do I care how he looks? I am good-looking enough for the both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" she ended fiercely, practically shoving Molly out of the way and snatching the ointment from her.

Everyone fell into a tense silence as they waited for what would happen next, hardly daring to move or even breathe. Anna felt sure that Molly would explode, her face a purple that usually only the twins could get from her. But she hoped she wouldn't. Fleur was currently dabbing Bill's bloodied face so tenderly, it was clear that the half-Veela truly loved Bill.

Molly was leaning back against her husband, watching Fleur closely for several silent moments.

Finally, the silence came to an end when Molly decided to speak.

"Our Great-Auntie Muriel has a very beautiful tiara-goblin-made-which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair."

Anna couldn't help the fleeting memory of Fred telling her about their great-great aunt, Muriel. She could guess the elderly woman wasn't fond of the twins, seeing as they once set off a Dungbomb under her chair at Christmas.

"Thank you." Fleur responded stiffly. "I am sure zat will be lovely."

And then, in the blink of an eye, both witches were hugging and crying on each other. Anna blinked and actually reached up with both hands to rub her eyes to ensure she wasn't hallucinating; it was very late, after all. But no, it was really happening. She glanced around to see that Ron and Harry were both shocked, and Ginny and Hermione were exchanging startled looks. Sirius rolled his eyes, as if to say 'women'.

Short hair suddenly whipped Anna in the face as Dora spun around. "You see!" she shouted in a strained voice.

Anna followed her gaze to see her staring at Remus, who was standing with Sirius.

"She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"

"It's different." Remus argued quietly, his lips hardly moving and his expression tense. "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely-"

"But I don't care either, I don't care!" Tonks shouted, crossing the short distance between them and grabbing the front of Remus's robes in her fists. "I've told you a million times…"

"And I've told _you_ a million times," Remus argued, his eyes fixed on the floor to avoid her eyes, "that I am too old for you, too poor…too dangerous…"

"I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus." Molly spoke up from over Fleur's shoulder, patting the young witch's back.

"I am not being ridiculous." Remus argued easily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."

"But she wants you." Arthur pointed out with a small smile. "And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so." he added, gesturing sadly to his eldest son in the bed.

"We're in a war, Moony." Sirius pointed out from his best friend's side. "Everyone's going to come out of it a little older and less whole."

"This is…not the moment to discuss it." Remus argued, looking around to avoid everyone's eyes. "Dumbledore is dead…"

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world." McGonagall stated curtly.

"You and Dora are good for each other." Anna stated, staring at Remus even though he avoided her eyes. "She needs someone mature and level-headed, and you need someone fun and stubborn to get you out of your comfort zone."

Remus narrowed his eyes at the floor, his jaw tensing as he clenched his teeth.

The hospital wing doors opened in that moment as Hagrid walked in. His face behind his beard and hair was wet and swollen from his tears, a large handkerchief in his hand.

"I've…I've done it, Professor." he announced in a thick voice. "M-moved him. Professor Sprout's got the kids back in bed. Professor Flitwick's lyin' down, but he says he'll be alrigh' in a jiffy, an' Professor Slughorn says the Ministry's bin informed."

"Thank you, Hagrid." McGonagall said, standing and turning to look at the group surrounding Bill's bed. "I shall have to see the Ministry when they get here. Hagrid, please, tell the Heads of Houses-Slughorn can represent Slytherin-that I want to see them in my office forthwith. I would like you to join us, too."

Hagrid nodded and turned to leave the room again while McGonagall looked down at Harry. "Before I meet them I would like a quick word with you, Harry. If you'll come with me…"

Harry murmured a goodbye to his friends as he stood and followed McGonagall from the room. Just as they stepped out of the doors, two more people raced past them and into the room in their place.

Anna's back instantly straightened and she stopped herself from rushing to Fred and George as they laid eyes on their older brother. Their faces were pale and eyes wide with terror as they stared at Bill from around their family.

"Oh, boys, you're here!" Molly exclaimed, pulling away from her hug with Fleur when she saw her other sons.

"Is he…?" George trailed off, looking ill as he stared at Bill.

"He was attacked by Greyback." Arthur admitted quietly, waving his hand to gesture his sons closer. "But since it's not the full moon, Greyback wasn't transformed. We're not sure what'll happen to Bill, there might be some contamination, but it's unlikely he'll be a full werewolf."

Both twins nodded dazedly, Fred swallowing as they slowly approached the bed their family was surrounding. Anna crossed her arms over her stomach, her eyes switching worriedly from one twin to the other. She was unsure if she should approach them and offer some level of comfort. She wanted to, desperately, but she also didn't want to intrude.

"So,…Dumbledore's dead?" Fred finally asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the wing.

Remus, Arthur, and Ron filled the twins in on everything they'd missed while Anna stayed off to one side. After a while, she slowly took a step closer, feeling as if an invisible cord in her chest was yanking at her to approach the twins, especially Fred.

Several minutes, and three steps, later Fred finally glanced around the room while Remus explained a few details of the battle. When Fred's brown eyes landed on Anna, his worried expression softened with relief and he raised a hand, holding it out to her.

Smiling slightly, Anna closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his middle, Fred's arm dropping over her back and holding her close.

"What are you doing here?" he asked quietly, his voice muffled as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Remus sent us a patronus, and me and my dad decided to come. I was worried." she admitted, squeezing Fred gently and laying her head on his chest.

Fred kissed her again, this time more on her forehead. "Well, I'm glad you're here."

"Of course." Anna's eyes shifted slightly to look at George, still standing next to his twin. His face was still pale and he was staring at Bill's slightly-less-bloody face. Releasing one arm from her hug with Fred, Anna stretched her arm to gently take hold of George's hand. He glanced at her and she gave him a sad smile. He returned it shakily, tightening his grip on her hand until it was almost painful.

Pomfrey seemed to forego her six visitor limit in light of the night's events. They pulled several chairs around Bill's bed. Fleur sat closest to Bill's head, still gently wiping away the dried blood from his face. Next to her sat Ginny and Hermione, the two girls seeming to have a friendly conversation with Bill's fiancé. Anna guessed Fleur's display of devotion to Bill turned Ginny's opinion around. Ron was sitting across from Hermione, Arthur was sitting next to Ron, and Molly was sitting near Bill's head, across from Fleur.

Anna sat on the bed next to Bill's, behind Molly, Arthur, and Ron. Dora was on one side of her, Fred and George on the other. Remus and Sirius were talking quietly nearby. Anna suspected her dad wanted to stay longer to check on Harry.

"Can't believe Dumbledore's dead." Anna breathed quietly. Most of the room were lost in their own conversations, so no one was really paying any mind to her. "It was like…he was our only hope. Without him…"

"We'll manage alright without him." George whispered from Fred's other side. "We've still got Moody and Kingsley and…and the whole Order. We'll be alright."

"I guess." Anna murmured, staring dazedly at the bed sheets of Bill's bed. "We'll have to go to a funeral. I've never been to a funeral." she murmured in a sudden realization. "Have any of you?"

"My granny." Dora whispered.

"We went to both our grandparents' funerals." George admitted, glancing at Fred and then past him to Anna. "Our dad's parents."

"Well, we also went to our uncles Fabian and Gideon's funeral. But we were only a few years old. I don't remember much about it, do you?" Fred asked, turning to look at George.

George tilted his head for a moment. "Vaguely. There weren't very many people there, since it wasn't a Weasley family thing. The Prewett side was always much smaller. Plus it was during the war. I think it was raining?"

Fred nodded. "Yeah, it was."

"I suppose I shouldn't say I've never been to a funeral." Anna admitted, the twins' reminiscing triggering her memory. "I think I went to Lily and James Potter's funeral. But I don't remember much about it. Like you guys, I was only about three years old."

The others nodded, silence falling over them in the dreary hospital wing.

There were a few big events that lead up to this war, at least in Anna's opinion. The day Voldemort returned in the Triwizard Tournament, when the wizarding world finally acknowledged his return after the battle in the Department of Mysteries, and now this.

The day Albus Dumbledore died.

If the war hadn't officially began already, it sure seemed like it had now.

XXX

Fred and George both released their breath in a long _whoosh_ as they slipped out of their black dragon skin coats.

"I told you those things would be miserable in the summer heat." Anna told them, grinning slightly before they all headed further into the Burrow.

"Shut up." they groaned, both wiping sweat from their foreheads.

They'd just left Dumbledore's funeral. It had been an…interesting affair, in Anna's opinion. There were hundreds of people there, some she recognized, but most she didn't. Most of the Order attended, and Anna arrived with her parents and Aslan before joining the twins. Dora and Remus arrived together, Anna's cousin's hair bright pink and the new couple holding hands. Fleur also supported Bill, who was still a bit shaky but was on the mend. The whole of Hogwarts seemed to attend, too, and Anna saw Harry sitting with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. People Anna was less than pleased to see included Fudge, Rita Skeeter, and Umbridge. Though Umbridge appeared to have developed a fear of centaurs from her last encounter, given she nearly panicked at the sight of Firenze standing near the lake. Minister Scrimgeour was there, as well, with Percy and a few other Ministry officials.

The mermaids of the Black Lake sang a song in their language, which Anna much preferred over anything the Ministry might have tried to throw together. It was beautiful and sad and Anna thought Dumbledore would've appreciated it immensely.

Hagrid had carried Dumbledore's body up the isle to his tomb, wrapped in purple velvet sheet sprinkled with golden stars.

While Anna hadn't been as close to Dumbledore as some of the others, she couldn't help remembering the great headmaster from all her years at Hogwarts. His interesting speeches, his devotion to the school and the safety of those within it, his sense of humor. Anna had smiled sadly during the funeral when she remembered how Dumbledore had enjoyed the twins' antics and pranks. And she couldn't forget how Dumbledore had believed in her father's innocence and helped her and Harry prove him innocent.

Hagrid had placed Dumbledore on the table at the front, tears streaming down his face and soaking his beard. Hagrid's giant half-brother, Grawp, who Anna hadn't met before, was also at the funeral. Hagrid sat next to him after placing Dumbledore at the front of the crowd.

After a long, droning speech, Dumbledore's body burst into white flames, which caused several people to scream. However, when they cleared, Dumbledore's body was encased in a white, marble tomb.

The centaurs also gave tribute by shooting their arrows into the air before returning to their forest home.

After the funeral, several members of the Order were invited to the Burrow for dinner, as a sort of after party.

Molly and Wren had already set out several flagons of cold drinks and dishes around every flat surface of the kitchen.

"Anna!" Aslan called, waddling across the room at a running pace toward the front door where Anna and the twins were still standing. When he neared them, he lifted his little hands toward his sister. Anna smiled and scooped her little brother up, setting him on her hip.

"Hi, Aslan. Where to? The kitchen?" she asked him, already heading toward the kitchen where everyone was gathered.

"Well, it was certainly a lovely funeral." Molly stated thickly, setting another plate of something delicious-smelling on the counter. "Dumbledore would've loved it."

"Especially the mermaids and centaurs." Bill agreed in a weak voice. He was sitting at the kitchen table, leaning heavily on his elbows with a glass of water between his hands. Fleur was sitting next to him, gently tucking his long hair behind his ear as she pushed a plate of food closer to him.

"Does anyone know what Scrimgeour spoke with Harry about after the funeral?" Arthur asked, sounding mildly concerned. "I didn't get the chance to ask."

Anna frowned worriedly, still holding her brother on her hip. She, too, had noticed the Minister pulling Harry aside to speak, and he hadn't looked very happy when he walked away from the young boy. She guessed Harry hadn't been in the mood to keep up polite pretenses with the grizzled old man.

"I spoke to Harry briefly before we left." Sirius admitted, wrapping his arm around Wren's waist and stopping her from getting any work done. "Scrimgeour just wanted to speak to Harry about showing support for the Ministry to boost morale in the wizarding world." he explained with an eye roll, which several people echoed. "Safe to say Harry made his opinion very clear."

"I just hope the Minister doesn't retaliate." Molly fretted, fluttering around the kitchen to check a few more dishes.

"He wouldn't dare do anything." Fred declared.

"Harry's got a good portion of the wizarding community behind him. If the Ministry tried starting anything like they did the last couple years, they'd have hundreds of people rushing to defend Harry. They don't need that kind of bad rep." George agreed.

Anna nodded in agreement, but she noticed a few people's expressions suggested they didn't completely agree.

"Well, enough talk about the Ministry." Wren declared firmly, grabbing a plate and beginning to serve herself. "This isn't about them. It's about remembering a great man who did a lot for us, Hogwarts, and the whole wizarding world."

Everyone murmured their agreement and started moving to grab their own plates. Anna set Aslan on the ground, took his little hand in hers, and lead him toward the counter where the plates were.

"Okay, you need to show me what you want, okay?" Anna told the almost 23 month old toddler. She went through the line with her brother and made up a plate for him and a second one for herself. She then sat him on her lap and set their plates next to each other so he could eat from his while she ate her own food.

"So, what's the plan for getting Harry out of his aunt and uncle's house?" Anna asked, directing her question at Kingsley across the table from her.

"We're still working out the details, and the plan itself may end up changing drastically by the time it actually happens." the large wizard admitted in his deep, calming voice. "All we know for certain is that it must happen before Harry's birthday, because the protective magic surrounding the house will vanish at that point."

Anna nodded in understanding. So, it would have to be before July 31. "Well, I want to be apart of it, if I can."

Kingsley nodded with a smile. "Duly noted."

Anna felt the small body on her lap twist around suddenly. She then felt a small finger poke her cheek. Looking down, she found Aslan looking up at her, food smeared across his mouth and cheeks. Anna glanced around on the table by her plate, grabbing her napkin to wipe the food from his face. He whined and tried to lean away from her, but she managed to get most of the food off before he could get away.

"Moony." he told her.

"What about Moony?" Anna asked him.

"Want Moony." Aslan repeated, wiggling and trying to get down.

Anna glanced around and didn't see Remus in the kitchen. So she looked past Fred and George into the living room. She saw Remus and Tonks sitting closely together on the couch. Sirius was sitting on the chair across from them. They were all beaming widely at each other and seemed excited about something. Then, Sirius leaned forward and clasped Remus's hand in his, pulling him forward into a kind of man-hug.

Anna tilted her head curiously. When her father pulled away from Remus, he then moved to hug Tonks.

Aslan chose that moment to tug on Anna's shirt. "Moony." he whined.

"Alright, alright." Anna lifted Aslan off her lap and placed him on the ground. She pointed around the table toward the living room. "He's in there."

Aslan ran from the kitchen into the living room, his little legs making him waddle adorably. When he neared his godfather, he squealed, "Moony!"

The three adults turned and smiled wider at the little boy who threw himself at Moony's legs. Remus laughed, easily lifting the little boy onto his lap. Anna didn't realize she was smiling as she watched the group interacting. Tonks was smiling warmly at Aslan, glancing between the little boy and Remus. There was a pure joyfulness in her expression as she looked at Remus, as if she couldn't be happier than in that moment. Her hair had returned to it's bright pink color, and there was life in her expressions now. And there was something similar in Remus, though he wasn't quite as obvious about it.

"What are you staring at?" Fred asked, making Anna jerk back to the present. She yanked her eyes from the group in the living room to find Fred staring curiously at her. George was deep in conversation with Kingsley and Bill.

"Oh, nothing, sorry." Anna laughed lightly, turning back to the remains of her food to continue eating.

XXX

"You got _married_ and didn't invite me?!" were the first words out of Anna's mouth when her mother opened the door to allow Dora into the house. "Nymphadora Vulpecula Tonks! Or I suppose it's Lupin now, right?"

"Are you gonna sulk or do you wanna see pictures?" Dora smirked at her as she stepped through the doorway, Wren closing the door behind her. "And seriously? Not only did you throw the first name at me, you had to throw in that monstrosity of a middle name, too?" Andromeda wasn't very good at naming, apparently, since Dora hated her middle name even more than her first.

"Consider it payback for not inviting me to your wedding. Maybe I should leave you and Remus off the invite list when me and Fred get married." Anna threatened. Her eyes flicking to the large envelope in her cousin's hand, she struggled with herself for a moment before sighing in defeat. "Oh, alright, let's see 'em."

The three women sat on the sofa, Dora in the middle so she could show them the magical Polaroid photos.

Dora and Remus had apparently gotten married just a couple days ago, but they hadn't told anyone. Well, they told Sirius. They wanted to have a witness there that they both knew and trusted. So, the three of them picked a Saturday in the middle of July, took off to Northern Scotland for the day, and had a small, quiet ceremony in a local tavern. That evening, Sirius returned home with the announcement of their marriage, explaining they'd wanted a very small ceremony because of the prejudice against werewolves in the wizarding community. Anna was still a little mad that she hadn't been invited, even though she did understand to a point.

"Lovely dress robes." Wren commented when they saw the first photo. Remus and Tonks were in a dingy looking pub, and Anna wished the photo wasn't black and white. It was clear Tonks's dress robes weren't white, but she had no idea what color they were.

"They were bubblegum pink and silver." Dora explained with a small smile. "I thought they'd be fitting.

"Sounds like you." Anna laughed quietly. Figures her cousin wouldn't wear a white dress. Of course, she always was unique.

There weren't very many photos, considering the ceremony was short and sweet and there obviously wasn't a reception afterwards. The other photos included a couple of them slipping the rings onto each other's fingers, their first kiss as a married couple, and Sirius toasting them both with shots at the tavern bar.

"Of course Sirius's most important job was toasting with a shot of booze." Wren laughed, holding the picture to look at. Anna and Dora laughed in agreement.

"What'd I do?" The three women looked up to see Sirius reaching the foot of the stairs carrying Aslan in his arms. He set the boy down and Aslan scurried toward the couch.

"Tonks! Tonks!" he squeaked. Dora had just enough time to pass the folder of photos to Wren before the little boy threw himself into her lap. He had to kick and climb in order to make it fully onto her lap, but managed it with little help. He turned himself and sat sideways so he faced his cousin and sister. "Duck!" he exclaimed, pointing a little finger in Dora's face before moving it to Anna's. "Duck!"

"What do you say?" Anna prompted in amusement.

Aslan pouted and made his green eyes big and cute. "Pwease?"

Anna refrained from laughing-barely-and looked at Dora, who returned the look. In unison, they turned back to look at Aslan and gave themselves duck beaks, one of Aslan's favorite faces.

Aslan squealed in laughter, clapping his hands excitedly.

"So, have you heard the latest plan for getting Harry from his aunt and uncle's house?" Dora asked, passing Aslan to Wren while her and Anna's faces returned to normal.

"Moody filled us in on a couple details." Sirius answered. "It's set for the 27th now, right?"

"Yep." Tonks nodded once. "And we're setting up a few different modes of flight, since we can't use certain kinds of magic, thanks to the bloody Ministry. Like brooms and things like that. Other than that, Moody wants to keep most of the details under wraps until the last possible moment."

Anna and Sirius nodded in understanding.

"And Harry's going to be taken to the Burrow?" Sirius checked, sounding a bit subdued. Anna couldn't blame him. He'd probably been hoping for Harry to have more time to actually live with them.

"Yeah. They figured it'd be easier there." Dora explained gently in understanding. "Bill and Fleur's wedding will be there soon, and it's just easier if we put all the protective enchantments on one place."

XXX

The blurriness of the several Disillusionment Charms disappeared as the several people landed in Harry's backyard. Hagrid got off the giant, flying motorcycle that Sirius had leant him, and everyone else dismounted their brooms and thestrals.

The back door flew open as Harry practically flew into their midst, causing several people to call out their greetings.

"I wasn't expecting this many of you!" Harry exclaimed, looking around at them all. Annabelle could understand his surprise. There were fifteen of them in total, and Harry would make sixteen. It almost seemed a bit over the top just to collect one boy, but they couldn't be too careful with this particular mission.

"Change of plan." Mad-Eye growled, holding two bulging sacks in his hand. "Let's get under cover before we talk to you about it, though." he continued, his magical eye spinning around frantically, as if expecting an enemy behind every bush.

Harry lead them all into the house and into the kitchen, where everyone took seats in chairs or on the countertops, or leaned against the walls or counters. Several people were chattering among themselves, some calling across the room to each other. There was Mad-Eye, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Anna, Bill, Fleur, Arthur, Dora, Remus, Sirius, Kingsley, Hagrid, and Mundungus Fletcher.

"Alright, Alright, we'll have time for a cozy catch-up later!" Mad-Eye roared, causing the chatter to fall silent. He then proceeded to fill Harry in on the change of plan. They'd had to throw out Plan A mainly due to Pius Thicknesse, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, being put under the Imperius Curse by the Death Eaters. Because of this, he'd made it impossible for Harry to leave the house by any magical means of transportation. Plus, Harry would still have the Trace on him until his birthday. So, they would be using any form of transportation that the Trace couldn't detect: brooms, thestrals, Hagrid's motorbike, and Buckbeak.

Anna had been hesitant to fly Buckbeak in this mission, due to the possible danger it presented, but she made sure to put a few different protective spells and shield charms on Buckbeak, just to be safe. She only hoped they worked.

Everyone would be paired up and they would fly to a different house.

Of course, when Moody pointed out the key fact in the plan, that there would be eight Harry Potters in the sky, and pulled out a flask of Polyjuice Potion, Harry flipped out.

"No!" he exclaimed. "No way!"

"Told you he'd take it well." Hermione stated to the room as a whole.

"If you think I'm going to let seven people risk their lives-"

"-because it's the first time for all of us." Ron agreed sarcastically.

"This is different, pretending to be me-"

"Well, none of us really fancy it, Harry." Fred told him earnestly. "Imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever."

Anna elbowed Fred in the ribs, but nearly failed to suppress a grin. Harry was clearly not amused.

"You can't do it if I don't cooperate, you need me to give you some hair."

"Well, that's that plan scuppered." said George. "Obviously there's no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate."

"Yeah, fourteen of us against one bloke who's not allowed to use magic; we've got no chance." Fred agreed sarcastically.

"Ms. Granger." Moody stated. Hermione instantly stepped up and ripped a few strands of Harry's hair from the back of his head.

Harry grabbed the back of his head in pain. "Blimey, Hermione." he groaned.

Fred, George, and Anna snorted.

Hermione approached Moody and put the hairs into the flask, which Moody had popped open for her. The muddy potion frothed and smoked before turning into a bright gold.

"Ooh, you look much tastier than Crabbe and Goyle, Harry." Hermione spoke up quietly, which everyone heard in the silent room. Anna raised her eyebrows, pursing her lips to fight a smile while the twins both looked at the bookworm with suggestive expressions. Hermione glanced around at them and Ron, who had also raised his eyebrows at her. She blushed. "Oh, you know what I mean-Goyle's potion looked like bogies."

"Right, then, fake Potters line up over here, please." Moody ordered.

Ron, Hermione, Fred, Anna, George, and Fleur lined up in front of the sink immediately. Hagrid lifted Mundungus up by the back of the neck and plopped him down with them. Dung clearly didn't want to be part of this plan, especially being one of the Harry clones.

Moody poured some of the Polyjuice into several small cups and passed them around.

"Altogether, then." he told them.

Anna grimaced slightly before throwing the potion back and swallowing. She gagged slightly, shuddering at the disgusting taste. Then, her skin began to bubble and change, much different from how she changed with her own metamorphic powers. Her body grew a bit and filled out, her hair darkened only a few more shades to reach black and shot up into her skull until it was short and messy like Harry's.

The feeling was quite a bit different from what Anna was used to and she found herself breathless for a moment from the feeling.

Fred and George turned to look at each other from around Anna. "Wow-we're identical!" they exclaimed. Anna glanced between them and laughed. They were slightly blurry, though, and Anna guessed that was because of Harry's eyesight that she was now seeing with.

"I dunno, though, I think I'm still better-looking." Fred continued, looking at his reflection in a kettle. "What do you think, love?" he asked flirtatiously, turning to Anna with a smirk. But it looked very weird given it was Harry's face.

"Don't talk to me like that when you look like Harry." Glancing toward the kettle to take in her own reflection, she continued, "And when I look like Harry."

"Bill, don't look at me," Fleur spoke from nearby, looking at her reflection in a microwave, "I'm 'ideous."

"Why'd you have to take the Polyjuice?" Ron asked, squinting at Anna from down the row of Harry clones. "Couldn't you have changed on your own?"

"Yes, but then I'd have to focus on keeping my disguise up." Anna explained. "And I may need all my wits about me. I don't want to lose my focus and have my cover blown."

Moody then set out all the things they'd need for their Harry disguises. Anna felt slightly awkward stripping and redressing in the previously-decided-Harry-clothes, especially with so many people in the room, including her dad and fiancé. It also felt very weird to look down and not see her own body.

"Harry, your eyesight really is awful." Hermione informed him, putting on a pair of glasses that looked like Harry's. Anna also put a pair on and the world went clear again.

Once dressed, all the fake Harry's took rucksacks and owl cages with fake owls from the second bag Moody had set out. When everyone faced him again, Moody continued on to the next phase, "Good. The pairs will be as follows: Mundungus will be traveling with me, by broom-"

"Why'm I with you?" the Harry nearest to the back door complained.

"Because you're the one that needs watching." Moody growled. "Arthur and Fred-"

"I'm George." the Harry who Moody pointed at interrupted. Anna, however, rolled her eyes because she could tell by his voice that he was, indeed, Fred. "Can't you even tell us apart when we're Harry?"

"Sorry, George-"

"I'm only yanking your wand, I'm Fred really-"

"Enough messing around!" Moody snapped. Anna reached over and yanked on Fred's temporarily-black hair to warn him to behave himself. "The other one-George or Fred or whoever you are-you're with Remus. Miss Delacour-"

"I'm taking Fleur on a thestral." Bill interrupted. "She's not that fond of brooms."

One of the Harrys, who Anna guessed was Fleur, moved to stand next to Bill and looked up at him with a soppy, love struck expression that looked very disturbing coming from Harry's face.

"Miss Granger and Kingsley, again by thestral." Moody continued. Hermione looked relieved and exchanged a smile with Kingsley. Anna remembered Hermione never did feel comfortable flying on brooms.

"Miss Black and Sirius, by hippogriff-"

Anna took a deep breath and felt Fred squeeze her hand.

"Which leaves you and me, Ron!" Dora exclaimed, knocking over a mug tree when she waved.

This left Harry with Hagrid on Sirius's old motorbike, since very few things could take Hagrid's enormous weight. Part of this reasoning was that the Death Eaters would expect Harry to be on a broom.

Left with only three minutes before they were due to leave, the large group headed out the back door into the dark garden.

Anna saw her dad clap Remus on the shoulder before heading toward Buckbeak, who was waiting anxiously near Hagrid on the motorbike. Anna glanced around quickly, her eyes scanning the sea of Harrys, trying to determine which one was Fred.

"Looking for me?" a familiar voice asked at her shoulder. Anna spun around and threw her arms around Fred, keeping her eyes closed to pretend temporarily that he didn't look like her godbrother.

"Be careful, Fred." she whispered, burying her nose into his shoulder.

"I will." he whispered back, for once not joking around. "But you've got to do the same. Got it?"

"Got it." Anna agreed. Knowing time was short, she took a long sniff of his neck and sighed. If nothing else, he still smelled like Fred. Of gunpowder and the woods.

Pulling away from him, she hurried over to Buckbeak. Sirius was already perched on the gray hippogriff's back. He offered Anna a hand and pulled her up onto Buckbeak, behind her father. Scooting up, she wrapped her arms around her father's middle.

Everyone mounted their brooms, and Hagrid kick started the motorbike, causing the engine to roar. Anna glanced over at it and saw that Harry was crammed into the tiny sidecar with all his things.

"Good luck, everyone!" Moody shouted. "See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One…two…THREE!"

Anna tightened her hold on her father as Buckbeak's large wings spread out on either side of them. Then, with one great flap, Buckbeak leapt into the air. They soared straight up, brooms and thestrals all around them as they rose up into the dark night sky. Anna almost couldn't hear anything over the whistling of the wind in her ears.

Then, suddenly they were surrounded. Anna caught glimpses of floating, black-cloaked figures-at least thirty-surrounding the Order on all sides in a huge circle.

It was chaos. Screams pierced the air, bursts of green light flashed from every direction. Anna almost tumbled over the side of Buckbeak when he suddenly lurched to one side to narrowly avoid another flash of green.

"Hang on and get your wand ready!" her dad yelled over the noise. Anna pulled her wand out of her jacket pocket, clutching it tightly in a white-knuckled grasp as her eyes tried to take in the panic.

She saw a couple pairs on brooms flying off into the distance, and Hagrid's bike had made it a good distance, though they already had four Death Eaters pursuing them.

She saw a couple Death Eaters turn and fly after her and her father. Remembering many of the defensive spells Harry had taught them in the DA, which she'd been practicing the last few days, Anna turned her wand and pointed it at the pursuing Death Eaters.

" _Stupefy!"_ she screamed, aiming at the Death Eater on the left. It barely missed and the witch or wizard countered with the Killing Curse. " _Protego!_ " Anna easily used the Shield Charm to defend against the curse.

With Buckbeak flying fine on his own, Sirius also began firing spells at random over his shoulder. He managed to hit one of the Death Eaters with a Stunning Spell, causing the masked wizard to fall into the darkness, most likely to his death. Unfortunately, another Death Eater showed up in time to replace him.

Remembering a spell the twins had shown her recently, Anna pointed her wand at the one on the right and yelled, " _Hircum Perorum!_ "

The Death Eater's broom lurched up and then started bucking uncontrollably. Due to this obstacle, that Death Eater was soon left in the dust.

"Faster, Buckbeak!" Anna screamed before aiming at the remaining Death Eater, " _Petrificus Totalus!_ "

Her spell missed, and the Death Eater managed to catch up. Anna and Sirius continued firing spells, which the Death Eater continued to counter. Unfortunately, he also managed to gain speed somehow, gradually gaining on Buckbeak. The wind also seemed to have blown the Death Eater's hood back, revealing his face. Anna was only able to recognize him when he was several feet behind them.

Rabastan Lestrange, the brother of Rodolphus and brother-in-law of Bellatrix.

Rabastan continued firing curses at them, all of which Anna and Sirius barely managed to defend against.

 _"Stupefy!"_

 _"Avada Kedavra!"_

Anna's spell flew toward Rabastan's chest, but she didn't see if it connected because suddenly her view was blocked by a wall of gray feathers. Buckbeak rolled in the air and Anna felt herself and her father start sliding to the side. Green light flashed in the corner of Anna's eyes, but suddenly she was airborne, her and Sirius falling in the dark toward the ground hundreds of feet below.

 **XXX**

 **I was finally able to put in another cliffhanger! I can't remember the last time I was able to put a cliffhanger in this story! Review and let me know what you all thought please!**


	25. Celebrations

The wind stung Annabelle's skin as she fell through the darkness. She felt like it was lasting forever, and yet she couldn't see the ground yet.

Just as the dark tops of many trees became visible, Anna heard her dad yell something through the rush of wind. Then, Anna's descent slowed immensely. She dropped slowly through the tree branches, which whipped her face and arms. Finally, she dropped to the ground on her stomach.

Groaning, Anna pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, looking around. She saw her dad slowly sitting up a few feet away, rubbing his head with a grimace. Continuing to look around, Anna gripped her wand tightly in case someone came out and attacked them again. But then her eyes saw the large, shadowed mass of gray feathers.

"Buckbeak?" Anna whispered shakily. The hippogriff didn't move. "Buckbeak?" Anna called a bit louder, her voice squeaking with fear as she stumbled to her feet and hurried over to him. She walked around him and dropped to her knees by his face, her dazed eyes taking in his large head.

His black eyes were open and glazed over, staring sightlessly into the trees beyond, and his beak was open.

"Buckbeak, get up." Anna whimpered, pushing at his shoulder with the hand not gripping her wand. "Buckbeak. We have to go. Come on."

"Anna." her father knelt on the ground next to her, putting a hand on her upper back. "Anna, he's gone."

"No." Anna whimpered, tears burning her eyes as she continued shaking Buckbeak's shoulder. "No, he can't be dead. He can't be. Get up!" she cried, shaking him with both hands.

"He is dead, Anna." her father told her gently. "He died protecting us, but he'll have died in vain if we don't get out of here. We have to go."

"But-but we can't just leave him here, Dad." Anna protested weakly.

"We don't have time to bury him, Darling. I can cover him, but we really need to go. Now."

Anna swallowed thickly, forcing back her tears despite how hard it was. Buckbeak had been in her life since she was eleven. They'd saved each other's lives, and now he'd died protecting her and her father. Nodding quickly, she leaned down and wrapped her arms around Buckbeak's thick neck. Giving him a tight hug, she briefly buried her face in his still-warm feathers before pulling away and forcing herself to stand on shaky knees.

Sirius stood with her and waved his wand. It caused a thick layer of moss and flowers to appear and drape over the still body, covering it in a temporary grave.

"Come on." Sirius whispered, wrapping his arm around his daughter and hugging her close for a moment. "We'll Apparate home and hopefully catch our portkey to the Burrow."

Anna nodded, forcing herself to pull it together. They still had a mission to complete. And now that she was thinking about it, she was anxious to know if everyone had made it.

Anna gripped her father's hand tightly and he Apparated them to the woods behind their cottage, where they'd been assigned to go. Silently, they walked through the dark woods together until the cottage came into view through the trees, a couple downstairs lights shining through a few windows.

Anna pointedly refused to look at the round paddock they passed in the woods, the one where Buckbeak had stayed when he lived with them.

A few moments after they left the cover of the woods, the back door to the cottage flew open. Wren came hurrying across the lawn.

"Are you okay?" she called as she neared them. When she got a good look at them, her eyes widened worriedly. "What happened? You're all scratched up!"

Anna looked down at herself and realized she had a few scratches on her hands. Reaching up to touch her own face, she felt the sting of several scratches crisscrossing her cheeks.

"We ran into some trouble." Sirius explained, pulling his wife close in a hug. "Death Eaters were on us from the start, split up and chased us all down. Do we have time to catch our portkey?"

"Yes. You've got five minutes." Wren told him. "Do you know how the others are?"

"No clue. Last we saw of anyone was them flying off in different directions with Death Eaters chasing them down." Sirius explained.

"Where's Buckbeak? Did you put him back in his pen?" Wren asked, turning to her daughter.

Anna struggled to swallow and had to look at the ground.

"He got hit." she heard her father whisper. "Rabastan was after us, and Buckbeak took a Killing Curse for us."

Wren gasped quietly, but Anna couldn't bear to listen anymore. She turned and headed for the house, knowing their portkey was waiting in the living room to take them to the Burrow.

Sure enough, there was an old, chipped teacup sitting on the coffee table.

"Promise you'll come back as soon as you can to tell me what happened." Wren insisted of her husband when they followed Anna into the house.

"I will, love, I promise." Sirius swore, kissing the top of her head. "I'm not sure when it'll be, but I will come home as soon as I know everyone's okay."

They waited a few more minutes before Anna and her dad put a finger each on the teacup. Then, with a familiar jerk behind her navel, Anna was pulled into nothingness with her finger stuck to the Portkey. Finally, her feet slammed onto the ground and she stumbled, barely keeping herself from falling to the ground. Hearing running footsteps, she turned and saw the Burrow, and Remus and Harry running toward her and her dad.

Remus slowed and raised a wand to Sirius, who did the same.

"What Animagus was Prongs?" Remus asked in a strained voice.

"James was a stag." Sirius answered tensely.

Remus dropped his wand arm and pulled Sirius into a tight hug. When they pulled away, Harry gave Sirius a tight hug, as well.

"We were betrayed." Remus said shortly. "They somehow knew we were leaving tonight, but they didn't know about the multiple Harrys."

Sirius nodded curtly. "Who else has made it? Ron and Dora should've been here first, right?"

"They didn't make it yet. It's only been Hagrid and Harry, and me and-"

"George." Anna's whisper caused all three men to turn and look at her. She was staring as the blood staining Remus's sleeves. "What-where's-"

Remus sighed. "George is in the living room."

Anna's eyes flew up to stare at Remus's face, her expression horrified. Without another word or thought, she raced past them and toward the Burrow. Her vision was tunneled. She paid no mind to Hagrid sitting in the kitchen. She entered the sitting room and her eyes focused on the back of the couch. She could see Molly and Ginny bent over it and moved around the sofa.

There, laying unconscious on the couch, his face pale and neck drenched with blood, was George.

Anna dropped to her knees on the floor next to him, her eyes fixed on his face in horror.

"It's George, dear, and he'll be fine." Molly told her gently, dabbing at the side of George's head with a wet rag. When she pulled it away to dip it in a bowl of water, Anna's stomach clenched. His ear was missing. It was almost hard to tell under all the blood, but there was definitely no ear there.

"She knows who it is, Mum." Ginny told her, sitting between Anna and her mum. "She cares about George, too, you know."

Anna could feel herself going into shock. First Buckbeak was killed, and now George was laying on a couch, looking close to death. Anna lifted a hand and placed it on his chest, making sure she could feel his heartbeat. Even feeling the familiar _thump-thump_ of George's heart, Anna couldn't bring herself to feel any relief.

"Could I…?" Anna's eyes didn't stray from her best friend's face, but she held a hand out to Molly. The wet rag was placed in her hand. Anna sat up on her knees and gently pressed the rag to the bloody side of George's head. Through the rag, she could feel a gaping hole where his ear should have been.

"So, what happened to you?" Ginny asked. Anna dragged her eyes from George and looked over at Ginny. She hadn't realized until then that her hair was natural again; long and brown. She was also no longer wearing glasses; they must've fallen off when they crashed. And her clothes were big and baggy now that she was back to her normal size.

"Um…we got chased by Death Eaters." Anna admitted, looking back at George. "We got shot down, but it was fine. Dad used some spell to slow our fall, but we fell through tree branches. That's why I'm all scratched up."

"Well, I'm glad you're okay." Ginny told her, wrapping an arm around her. Anna wrapped her free arm around Ginny in return, still cleaning up the remaining blood from George's ear.

"What happened to George?" Anna asked shakily.

"His ear was cursed off. We won't be able to grow it back, because it was Dark magic. But at least he's alive." Molly answered.

"Did I hear someone else in the yard?" Ginny asked. Anna glanced at her and followed her eyes over the couch where Harry was standing, looking down at George.

"Yeah. Hermione and Kingsley just got here." he admitted. He looked up and met Ginny's eyes while Anna looked back at George. She pulled the rag back to look at the hole. Now that it wasn't bleeding, and Anna had gently wiped out the drying blood, all that was left was a clean, gaping hole. Her stomach clenched at the sight.

"I'll prove who I am, Kingsley, after I've seen my son, now back off if you know what's good for you!"

Anna almost didn't recognize Arthur's voice, and looked up over the couch to watch them enter. Her body tensed with anticipation as she realized with Arthur, Fred would be here.

Arthur burst into the room, bald spot glistening with sweat and glasses crooked on his nose. Fred was right behind him, and Anna breathed a sigh of relief. While both were pale, they appeared uninjured.

Anna and Ginny scooted closer to Molly, above George's head to make room as Arthur came to kneel at his son's side. Fred, however, was frozen. He stared over the back of the sofa, gaping at the huge wound on his twin's head. Anna wanted to get up and comfort him, but she remained where she was.

Feeling movement under her hand, Anna realized she was still holding the rag to George's neck. She pulled back slightly and looked at him with wide eyes. He was stirring, possibly at the sound of his father and twin's arrival.

"How're you feeling, Georgie?" Molly whispered gently, running her hand through his messy, ginger hair.

George's hand slowly came up, his fingers brushing the back of Anna's hand before reaching the hole where his ear should've been. Anna swallowed thickly, watching him worriedly as his finger explored this change.

"Saintlike." he murmured.

"What's wrong with him?" Fred asked, his voice breaking as he looked fearfully down at his twin. "Is his mind affected?"

"Saintlike." George repeated. He turned his head and opened his eyes, looking right up at his twin. "You see? I'm holy. _Holey_ , Fred, geddit?"

Molly started sobbing, and Anna's shoulders slumped with relief. If George was well enough to make jokes already, he would be fine. Feeling exhausted, Anna leaned forward and rested her forehead on the edge of the couch by George's shoulder.

"Pathetic." Fred told his twin. Anna forced her head up to look up at Fred over the back of the couch. Color had returned to his face. "Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humor before you, you go for _holey_?"

"Ah well." George tilted his head back to look up at his teary-eyed mother. "You'll be able to tell us apart now, anyway, Mum."

He looked around and took in everyone in the room.

"Hi, Harry-you are Harry, right?"

"Yeah, I am." Harry answered, moving closer to the sofa.

"Well, at least we got you back okay. Why aren't Ron and Bill huddled round my sickbed?"

"They're not back yet, George." Molly told him, which made George's grin fade.

Ginny got up, and she and Harry walked back outside.

"Hey, what are you all teary for?"

Anna glanced up and realized George was looking down at her. She had her chin rested on his arm. He reached down with his other hand and used his thumb to wipe a tear off her cheek. She sat up straight, wiping her cheeks with one hand.

"Nothing. I'm fine." she told him, trying to pretend people weren't looking at her.

Arthur stood up, patting Anna's shoulder as he moved to stand with his wife. Fred moved around the couch and sat on the ground next to her. He leaned back against the coffee table, wrapping an arm around Anna's shoulder and pulling her into his side.

"So, who all's here and not here?" George asked, glancing around.

"Ron and Tonks missed their Portkey. They aren't here yet. Fred and I missed ours, too, but we Apparated over a little bit ago." Arthur explained. "Hagrid and Harry obviously made it, and Sirius and Anna, and Hermione and Kingsley. Mundungus and Moody haven't arrived yet, and neither have Bill and Fleur."

George nodded, turning to look at Fred, who grinned reassuringly at him.

"So, what happened to you, George?" Anna asked, leaning heavily on Fred. "Who attacked you?"

"Snape." George grimaced. Anna stiffened. "We were being chased by a couple different Death Eaters, but it was Snape who cursed my ear off. Don't know what happened after that, must've passed out."

"As long as you're safe, that's all that matters." Molly told him, fussing with his missing ear once more.

They spoke quietly for a few minutes. Anna remained quiet, her head on Fred's shoulder. She tried to focus on the conversation around her to keep her mind off everything, but she couldn't muster the energy to participate in the talk. Suddenly, the backdoor banged open again and Ginny hurried in.

"Ron and Tonks are back!" she yelled.

Arthur jumped up, but Molly glanced anxiously between George and the backdoor.

"I'm fine, Mum. Go check on Ronniekins." George told her with a smile. Molly smiled worriedly back before getting up and running after her husband and daughter to the backyard.

"So that just leaves Mad-Eye and Dung, and Bill and Fleur." Fred noted.

"They'll get here soon." George stated confidently. "So, what happened with you two after the Death Eaters showed up?"

"Well, Dad and I were chased by a good handful throughout the chase." Fred answered. "I recognized Yaxley, and one of them looked a bit like that Goyle kid in Ron's year, he might've been his dad. Anyway, we held 'em off pretty well, but they managed to cut us off and slow us down a few times, which is why we missed our Portkey. But we eventually got to our assigned house, your grandparents' house," Fred added to Anna, "and after checking in with them, we Apparated here."

George nodded while Anna just looked down at the floor, her head on Fred's shoulder.

"What about you, Anna?" George asked curiously.

Anna struggled to swallow for a moment. "Oh, we were fine. We caught our Portkey in time."

The twins stared at her for a moment.

"Anna, you gotta give us more than that." Fred told her, nudging her cheek with his shoulder. "You're all scratched up. Something must've happened."

Anna's throat closed, and she struggled to breathe for a moment. Finally, she took a deep breath and whispered, "I'd rather not talk about it right now, please. There's too much going on right now."

"There's really nothing going on right now, but I suppose we can leave you alone for now. We will get it out of you eventually, though." George told her. Anna smiled softly at him, nodding in defeat.

"Fair enough. Does your ear hurt?" she asked, mostly to change the subject.

George turned his head and patted his uninjured ear. "Nope. Just fine."

"Not what I meant." Anna told him sternly.

"Well, I can 'ear you just fine, so that's something." George told her, causing Fred to chuckle. "And no, it doesn't hurt. But that could change." he added seriously.

"Oh? And what could change it?" Fred asked, smirking.

"Christmas." George answered seriously. "Because then I'll have to endure Celestina Warbeck." Fred and Anna laughed at him. "Maybe I can play up my hurt ear to get out of that this year."

Anna shook her head, still chuckling while Fred and George laughed loudly. They were still laughing when everyone entered the house. Anna's laughter died when she saw the serious and glum faces as everyone gathered in the sitting room. Bill and Fleur were among them.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked, also scanning everyone's expressions. "What's happened? Who's-?"

"Mad-Eye." Arthur answered simply. "Dead."

Anna felt like someone had punched her in the gut. The twins' smiles fell into shocked expressions. How could _Mad-Eye_ of all people have been killed? And as Anna surveyed all the people present, she noticed Mundungus was gone, too.

Dora was crying softly, and Anna remembered Mad-Eye had been Dora's mentor while she was training to be an Auror. Hagrid, who was sitting on the floor in the corner, was wiping his eyes with a tablecloth-sized handkerchief.

Bill got out a bottle of firewhiskey and several glasses. With a wave of his wand, he sent full glasses around the room until everyone had one. Bill then held his up and offered a solemn toast. "Mad-Eye."

"Mad-Eye." everyone echoed before downing their drinks.

Anna threw back her glass, grimacing at the burn as it slid down her throat. She honestly couldn't understand how her dad liked that stuff. She'd always thought it numbed people's pain, but if anything it just shocked the pain back into her.

She tried to focus on the conversation going on around her, but she honestly couldn't. She could only catch snippets of conversation, enough to gather that Dung had bailed the second they were surrounded by Death Eaters, which made some people suspicious that he might've been the one to betray them. But someone, she thought it might've been Bill, pointed out that the Death Eaters hadn't known about the eight Harrys, and that bit had been Dung's idea.

Every time Anna tried to focus, she couldn't last more than a few seconds. Buckbeak's blank eyes kept popping up in her mind's eye. Or the flash of green light that Buckbeak took for her and Sirius. She couldn't bring herself to focus on anything else, and she could feel her resolve to not cry breaking with every passing second.

"Hey. You okay?" a gentle voice asked near her ear. Anna blinked and glanced around. Fred and George were both looking at her, Fred still with his arm around her shoulders, and George still laying on the couch. She noticed a few people had left. Sirius was talking with Hagrid and Arthur near the corner, Molly was heading toward the kitchen with Fleur, and Ginny was talking with Dora.

"Where's-?" Anna cut off, her voice coming out more hoarse than she was used to.

"Bill and Lupin left to find Mad-Eye's body. And I think Kingsley left a little while ago." Fred told her, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.

"What about Harry? And-?"

"Harry stepped outside." George told her. "And Ron and Hermione went to talk to him." He eyed her worriedly for a moment. "Are you sure you're alright? Just how long have you been spaced out?"

Anna wiped her hands down her face, trying to clear her mind. "I don't know. Sorry. Tonight's just been-"

"Rough." Fred finished for her, pulling her closer into his side. "We know. It's okay."

"Did I miss anything? I'm sorry, I just couldn't focus." Anna admitted quietly, not wanting the whole room to hear her.

"Nothing too big. Mostly just a bunch of theories, and Bill and Lupin went to find Mad-Eye's body, and Harry had a mild meltdown. No big deal." George told with exaggerated casualness.

Anna smiled, but it was fake and the twins could easily tell.

About half an hour later, people had begun clearing out. Hagrid left for home, as did Dora, who told them to tell Remus if he came back and asked where she was.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Fleur headed upstairs to go to bed.

"Well, I best be off, too." Sirius agreed after Dora left. "Wren will be wanting to know what all happened. Anna?" he called across the room to where his daughter was still sitting with the twins. "Are you coming home, or do you want to stay?"

"I want to stay." she admitted quietly. "If that's okay." she added quickly with a glance towards Molly, realizing how rude she was being.

"Of course that's okay, dear." Molly agreed with a warm smile, though she looked exhausted. "I'm sure we could make room in Ginny's-"

"She could stay with me and George." Fred cut in, tightening his hold on her.

"Well, yes, I suppose she could, but I don't think we should move George tonight. I don't want Anna to have to sleep on the floor." Molly pointed out fretfully.

"I'll be fine down here, Molly." Anna assured her quietly. "I want to stay with George and Fred."

"Alright. I'll get you all some blankets and pillows." With that, Molly hurried up the stairs.

Sirius kissed the top of Anna's head before leaving, and Arthur headed upstairs to go to bed. Molly left them a pile of blankets and pillows before joining her husband.

Anna put a pillow behind George's head on the arm of the couch. Then, she helped Fred drape a blanket over him. Then, Anna and Fred spread a couple blankets out on the floor next to the couch for padding, laid down on them side-by-side, with a couple pillows, and draped a blanket over them. Anna snuggled into Fred's side, his arm wrapped around her to hold her close and her head rested on his chest.

Just as Anna closed her eyes, Fred gently squeezed her hip. "You gunna tell us now? What happened to you on the way here?"

Anna sighed in defeat, opening her eyes in the dark room. "I was hoping you'd forgotten."

"Not a chance." both twins said together.

"Come on, just tell us." Fred added on his own.

"Yeah. I'm all ears." George joked.

Anna sighed heavily. She really didn't want to get into the details. She figured, she could just spit it out and leave it at that.

"Buckbeak died." she admitted quickly.

She heard Fred's breath catch with her ear on his chest, his arm tightening around her. "Anna…" he breathed.

The sympathy in his voice broke her resolve. Burying her face in his chest, a silent sob shook her chest as tears began pouring from her closed eyes. Fred's shirt was quickly soaked. Fred wrapped both arms around her, practically pulling her completely onto his chest before rubbing a hand over her back.

"What happened?" Fred asked gently, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"We were b-being chased by a few Death Eaters." Anna sobbed quietly, "It seemed like every time we got r-rid of one, another one would pop up. Then Rabastan Lestrange was the only one following us. I dueled with him for a while. Then I shot a Stunning Spell at him, but I don't know if it hit him or not. He'd shot a Killing Curse at us at the same moment, but Buckbeak rolled over in the air. He got hit and we fell off him…" Anna paused to take a few deep breaths, trying to get her breathing under control. When she continued, she spoke in a whisper, "I didn't realize he'd been hit until after we hit the ground. Dad had used some spell to slow down our fall, otherwise we probably would've died. We fell through a forest canopy, that's why I'm all scratched up. I hit the ground lightly. Then I looked around and saw Buckbeak laying limply on the ground a few feet away. I tried to wake him up, but…" she trailed off, tears falling silently from her eyes and drenching Fred's shirt.

Fred squeezed her tightly to his chest, running one hand up and down her back soothingly. "I'm so sorry, Anna." Fred whispered, his warm breath stirring the hair on the top of her head. "I know how much he meant to you."

"I never should've agreed to him being involved in this mission." Anna whimpered. "He should've stayed at Hagrid's with the other hippogriffs."

"This isn't your fault, Anna." George told her firmly. "Buckbeak cared about you. He would've protected you a hundred times over if he could. We'll get Rabastan back for this, if he didn't die already."

Anna nodded silently.

They laid in silence like that for a while, just settling down and waiting to fall asleep. Eventually, Anna ended up rolling over so that Fred spooned her from behind and she ended up holding George's hand, which hung over the side of the couch. They all fell asleep like that.

XXX

"Hurry up! Hurry up!" Anna exclaimed, dragging both twins by their arms down the lane toward the Burrow.

"What's the hurry?" Fred demanded. "He's probably not going to be there yet."

"He might be." Anna pointed out. "And even if he's not, I want to be there to greet him when he does arrive."

"Merlin, you're obsessed." George huffed, rolling his eyes. "You're going to give Harry a complex. After all, it's supposed to be _his_ day."

They entered the front door of the Burrow a few moments later, and it was strangely clean. The twins and Anna had been lucky enough to get out of helping clean the Burrow up for the wedding the following day, given they worked during the days and lived elsewhere. The Burrow had been pretty packed lately, for multiple reasons. With Dumbledore dead, they couldn't continue using Grimmuald Place for the Order's headquarters, since he was the Secret Keeper, and Snape was a Death Eater. So, the Burrow had been acting as HQ instead. Plus, with the wedding approaching, Fleur's parents and sister were staying at the Burrow for a couple days.

"Oh, good, you're here." Molly rushed by, pausing only to kiss Anna and her sons on the cheeks. "Why don't you all head outside and help decorate for Harry's birthday?"

Anna exchanged a glance with the twins before sighing in defeat and heading outside. In the garden, several tables were placed end to end.

"Harry!" Anna called as soon as she saw him. He turned and greeted her with a smile and a wave. She hurried over and hugged him. "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks. And thanks for the gloves." Harry told her, pulling away from the hug.

"I wanted to get you something you could use for,…you know." She wasn't sure what Harry and the others were planning, but she knew Dumbledore had given them some kind mission that would help stop Voldemort.

"Well, thanks. I bet they'll come in handy."

"So,…is Charlie here yet?" Anna asked, finally giving in to her desperate hope that her favorite Weasley was there.

The twins and Harry laughed, and Ron told her that no, Charlie hadn't arrived yet.

Anna and the twins started helping decorate the garden some more. After several minutes, Anna was interrupted from helping the twins make purple lanterns by a redhead approaching from the distance, just outside of the protective enchantments surrounding the Burrow.

Anna narrowed her eyes, though an excited grin was already stretching across her face.

"Charlie!" she squealed excitedly, racing across the yard. She vaguely heard George make what sounded like a joking comment, but she ignored him.

Charlie looked just the same as when Anna last saw him during the Triwizard Tournament three years before. He was short and stocky with muscular arms that strained against his shirt sleeves. His freckles were so dark his skin looked tan, and his red hair was windswept and long enough it brushed his shoulders.

He grinned at her, dropping his bag and opening his arms in time to sweep her up in a tight, familiar hug, swinging her around a few times before letting her feet touch the ground.

"Well, that's a nice greeting." Charlie joked, pulling back to look down at her. "Don't you look all grownup. I like the hair." he added, tugging lightly on a piece of Anna's wavy, nearly-black hair. The last time he'd seen her, it'd been it's natural brown, but after she'd changed it for the Yule Ball, she kept it the darker color.

"Thanks. I like yours, too." she added with a laugh, stretching up to mess up his hair.

"Let's just hope Mum lets me keep it." he grumbled, running his own hand through it to fix it slightly.

"Keep dreaming. It's your big brother's wedding. You need to look presentable." she added mockingly.

"Speaking of weddings." Charlie grinned again. "When am I getting an invite to yours?"

"Not sure." Anna admitted as Charlie picked up his bag and they both started walking back toward the Burrow. "With everything going on, and the future being so uncertain, we aren't sure how or when it would work. Plus, we didn't want to plan our wedding on top of Bill and Fleur's."

"Good point. I take it Mum's been going insane?"

"Just a bit." Anna smiled.

"So, let me see if little Freddie's got good taste." Charlie suddenly reached for Anna's left hand, pulling it up to see the engagement ring that was once again on her finger. She'd taken it off on the night they'd picked up Harry. If she'd changed into Harry while wearing it, it probably would've cut off her finger. "Not bad."

"Thanks." Fred grinned as they reached him. "Now quit putting the moves on my fiancé."

Charlie laughed, pulling Fred, and then George into hugs. He wished Harry a happy birthday and greeted Ron, Ginny, and Hermione before they were interrupted.

"Charles Septimus Weasley!" Molly called from the back door of the house. "You get in here right now! You are long overdue for a haircut! I will not have you looking like a homeless hoodlum at your brother's wedding!"

Anna and the twins sniggered while Charlie scowled across the lawn toward his mother. "Love you, too, Mum! Such a nice greeting after not seeing you for three years!" Turning back to the others, he sighed. "Well, guess I better get this done and over with."

"Good luck, bro. Kiss your lovely locks goodbye." George joked, patting Charlie's shoulder as the older Weasley walked past.

After the garden was decorated, Fred and George headed to the end of the lane to lead the guests to the house. Molly even made Harry a cake that looked like a giant Snitch. Anna had a feeling Aslan would love that when he saw it. Anna, Sirius, and Harry were raising him to love the sport as much as they all did.

Sirius, Wren, and Aslan were the first to arrive, and Fred lead them to the house before returning to his brother. Aslan was quick to ask Harry to hold him after Sirius got his hug in.

Hagrid was next to arrive, wearing his best suit, which was a hairy, brown suit that smelled odd.

Remus and Tonks were the last to arrive, and Anna noticed from a distance as she watched them greet Harry, that Remus's smile was fake, but Dora was practically glowing. Curious, Anna made a note to talk to one or both of them later.

"Hey." Anna turned to see Charlie walk up behind her. His red hair was now clipped short to his scalp, looking very strange after years of it being at least a few inches long. "I've got something for you. It's in my room. Do you want it now or later?"

"Well, now you've got me curious." Anna admitted, glancing around. The party hadn't properly started yet. "I'd say now, before the party's in full swing."

Charlie lead her back to the house and up to the third floor where he shared a room with Bill. Anna waited just inside the doorway while he approached his bed and dug around in his trunk. Finally, he pulled out something that was haphazardly wrapped in old newspaper and walked back to her.

Anna took it from him curiously. It was rectangular and somewhat flat. "What's this for, exactly?"

"Just open it." Charlie suggested quietly.

Anna glanced up at him before looking down and ripping the paper carefully off whatever it was. When it was revealed, her lips parted in awe and her eyes turned glassy.

It was a framed photo of her sitting curled up with Buckbeak. She recognized it as the photo Hagrid had taken her fifth year for Buckbeak's trial. They were inside Hagrid's hut and Buckbeak was curled around her with his head by her leg. The frame was a light silver with intricate carvings that looked similar to feathers, and at the top, curving down one of the corners of the frame, was a long, gray feather.

"Fred wrote to me and told me what happened that night." Charlie explained quietly while Anna ran her thumb over the frame. "I'm sorry about Buckbeak. I figured you'd like something nice to remember him by."

"Is this the same feather I gave you for Christmas my first year?" Anna asked quietly, feeling herself getting choked up as she ran a finger over the soft feather.

"The very same." Charlie admitted. "I took care of it that whole time, but I figured this would be a better use for it."

Anna sniffed, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his middle tightly. "Thank you. I love it." she whispered into his shoulder.

Charlie hugged her back just as tightly, rocking her slightly in place before kissing the top of her head. "No problem. I understand."

They stayed up there for a few more moments before Anna carefully slipped the photo into her shoulder bag so they could return to the party. They approached Hagrid, who was talking with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Hagrid and Charlie talked about Norbert, Hagrid's Norwegian Ridgeback, who was apparently Norberta now. Then Hagrid told Anna about all the baby unicorns that'd been born at Hogwarts in the last week, and Anna almost wanted to return to Hogwarts to see them.

"I think we'd better start without Arthur." Molly called to everyone in the garden. Arthur was late getting home from work, it seemed. "He must have been held up at-oh!"

A streak of light came shooting across the yard. It landed on the table and formed into a bright weasel, standing up on it's hind legs. Anna met Fred's eyes from across the yard before they both looked back at the patronus when it spoke in Arthur's voice.

"Minister of Magic coming with me."

The weasel patronus dissolved and Anna gaped slightly at the spot it had been.

"We shouldn't be here." Remus said instantly. "Harry-I'm sorry-I'll explain another time-"

He grabbed Dora's wrist and they both hurried away. They climbed over the fence in the backyard and vanished. Anna did her best not to hurry across the yard, stopping between Fred and George. She also noticed Sirius taking Aslan from Harry, holding his son close.

"The Minister-but why-? I don't understand-" Molly stuttered in bewilderment.

But before anyone could discuss or make any kinds of decisions, Arthur popped out of thin air at the gate with Rufus Scrimgeour at his side.

Fred casually nudged Anna into a chair at the lantern-lit table, him and George sitting on either side of her as the two older men crossed the yard.

"At least he isn't using Percy as a ticket into our house this time." George muttered quietly. "That's the last thing we need."

Everyone else sat in silence, watching the two men as they got closer.

"Sorry to intrude." the Minister greeted them as he limped to a stop by the table. Under the lantern light he looked much older than he was the last time Anna had seen him. "Especially as I can see that I am gate-crashing a party."

He scanned the table and his eyes lingered on the large Golden Snitch cake.

"Many happy returns."

"Thanks." Harry told him warily.

"I require a private word with you." he went on to Harry. "Also with Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger."

"Us?" Ron asked in shock. Anna and the twins glanced at Ron and Hermione in surprise. "Why us?"

"I shall tell you that when we are somewhere more private. Is there such a place?" he asked Arthur.

"Yes, of course." Arthur answered nervously. "The, er, sitting room, why don't you use that?"

"You can lead the way." the Minister said to Ron. "There will be no need for you to accompany us, Arthur."

Anna noticed that Molly and Arthur exchanged a worried glance, as did Sirius and Wren and a few of the others. But Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stood up and headed back toward the house.

"Don't suppose you've got an Extendable Ear on hand, Gred?" George asked, leaning back to see his twin from around Anna's head. He had a bandage wrapped around his head to cover the wound left by his ear.

"'Fraid not, Forge." Fred admitted in disappointment.

"What do you think the Minister wants with them?" Bill asked the table as a whole, his eyes fixed curiously on the backdoor.

"If it were just Harry, I'd say the answer was somewhat obvious, but with Ron and Hermione…" Arthur trailed off, his eyes fixed worriedly on the backdoor. He seemed hesitant to join most of the guests at the table.

"On a different note." George continued quietly, looking down at Anna. "I told you so."

Anna frowned in confusion. "Told me what?"

"Our dad's patronus is a weasel, just like yours." George teased, pinching her cheek playfully. Anna swatted his hand away, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing.

"Shut up, George." she hissed, but it was too late.

"You can make a patronus?" Charlie leaned forward on his arms, leaning over the table from his seat across from her. "Where'd you learn that?"

Anna exchanged a glance with Fred.

"Harry taught us." Fred answered casually.

"Ah, yes. Dumbledore's Army, right?" Bill questioned, his arm wrapped around Fleur's shoulders.

Anna and the twins nodded silently.

"And your patronus is a weasel?" Charlie repeated with a smug smirk, glancing between Anna and Fred.

"Shut up." Anna groaned, slouching in her seat and covering her face.

"Do you think the Minister knows about Harry, Ron, and Hermione's plan to ditch school?" George asked quietly, glancing back at the door again. He kept his voice quiet because not everyone at the table knew or approved of the Trio's plan.

"Where would he have heard about it?" Anna whispered doubtfully. "Very few people in the Order know about it, and even less would've spoken about it where the Minister would overhear."

"You never know." Fred pointed out.

Everyone at the table talked quietly among themselves for a few more minutes, when they heard raised voices coming from the house. Everyone turned to stare at the house worriedly. Arthur and Molly hurried toward the house. Sirius handed Aslan to Anna as he hurried past and toward the house after them.

They all waited in tense silence for a few moments before the Minister stormed from the backdoor. They all watched as he crossed the yard. When he passed through the gate he disappeared with a loud _CRACK_.

"He's gone!" Molly called from the doorway, probably speaking to the people in the house.

Everyone returned to the table to announce that Scrimgeour had stopped by to drop off the things Dumbledore had left them in his will. He'd given Ron a Deluminator, which everyone was fascinated with as they passed it around the table. He left Hermione a worn copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_.

"I remember these!" Anna exclaimed, looking over the small book with a warm smile. "You used to read these to me when I was little!" she added to her parents. Even though her dad had been arrested when she was three, she had very vague memories of her dad reading stories to her, and she certainly remembered her mum reading those stories to her.

Dumbledore also left Harry two things; the Sword of Gryffindor and the Snitch Harry caught his first match at Hogwarts. Everyone voiced their outrage over Scrimgeour keeping the Sword from Harry, and no one understood what the significance of the Snitch was.

"Harry, dear," Molly began tentatively, "everyone's awfully hungry, we didn't like to start without you…Shall I serve dinner now?"

Dinner was a rather hurried affair, as was their rendition of 'Happy Birthday' and eating the cake. Most people were staying at the Burrow for the wedding the following day, but Anna and her family were going home, seeing as the Burrow was already filled to capacity, and Hagrid was setting up a tent in a neighboring field.

Anna eyed the two small slices of cake left on the table.

"Molly?" she called as the motherly witch sent most of the dishes to the kitchen with a wave of her wand.

"Yes, dear?"

"Could I take those pieces of cake? Remus and Dora didn't get any. I was thinking I could stop over at their place on the way home and give it to them."

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea, dear." Molly exclaimed happily, instantly setting the cake on a plate and covering it. "I know dear Tonks was talking about how much she was looking forward to the cake."

"Sounds like her." Anna laughed.

"Now, remember to get here before three tomorrow, dear. Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?" Molly checked, passing her the covered plate.

"I would, but you're already packed, Molly. You have enough to worry about without me here to add to it."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. You'd be more than welcome." Molly insisted.

Anna politely declined. She said quick goodnights to everyone before finding her parents. Her dad was busy somewhere, so she found her mum. Wren was watching Aslan, who appeared to be chasing after a gnome that had managed to stay despite Molly wanting all gnomes off the property.

"He's running off his sugar high." Wren told her in amusement. "Perhaps letting him have a slice of cake was a bad idea."

"If you didn't, he would've been upset." Anna pointed out with a smile. Aslan was squealing with laughter as he chased the little gnome on his chubby legs.

"Yes. Now he won't go to sleep until midnight." Wren joked.

"Let Dad deal with him." Anna suggested, making them both laugh. "Anyway, I'll meet you all at home. I'm going to stop in to see Dora and Remus."

"Okay. I'll see you at home." Wren hugged her daughter and kissed her cheek.

"See you."

With that, Anna walked out of the back garden and Apparated. She arrived in a hallway in front of an apartment door. She knocked on the door and waited a few seconds in silence.

"Who is it?" Remus called through the door in a tense voice. Anna could just imagine him holding his wand tightly in his hand by the door.

"It's Annabelle Esme Black, daughter of Padfoot. I come from Harry's birthday party bearing cake for Nymphadora Lupin and Moony."

There was a second of silence before the door opened, revealing a tired looking Remus. He gave her a small smile, but it was obviously fake.

"Come on in." he told her, gesturing her into the small apartment. "How was the rest of the party?"

"It was alright. Although it was lacking two of Aslan's favorite people." Anna joked, giving Remus a pointed look. He smiled again, this time a little less fake. "Then again, he got a huge sugar rush from the cake and started chasing gnomes around the garden."

Remus chuckled tiredly. "Sounds like his father. So, what did the Minister want?"

"Forget that!" Dora exclaimed, hurrying into the room from around the corner. "I heard someone mention cake!" Then, she started sniffing the air, walking right up behind Anna and sniffing over her shoulder. "And I _smell_ cake!"

Anna tried very hard not to laugh, looking over her shoulder at her cousin. "Um,…yeah I brought the last two slices of Molly's cake. I figured you'd both want them since you had to leave early."

"You're the best!" Dora squealed, hugging Anna from behind before plucking the plate from her hands. "I might share some with you, love." she added to Remus teasingly.

Remus smiled again, but it was once again fake. "Anyway, what'd the Minister want?"

Anna told them what'd happened after they left, and they both voiced their disgust at the Minister's actions. They also explained that they'd left because the Ministry was being very anti-werewolf and they didn't want to cause any extra problems for Harry.

After Dora finished her cake, she snuggled on the couch next to Remus, rubbing her belly with a tired, content smile. Remus glanced down at her, his eyes traveling down to where she was rubbing her belly. Anna barely caught a pained grimace before he steeled his expression and carefully stood up.

"I'm going to go take a shower." he mumbled to them before leaving the room.

"What's up with him?" Anna asked quietly once she heard the bathroom door click shut.

Tonks sighed. "It's complicated." she whispered.

"Are you guys having problems?" Anna asked worriedly. "You seemed happy since you got married."

"It's not that." Tonks assured her quietly as Anna moved to sit next to her on the couch. "It's, well,…I'm happy." she swore. "Don't tell anyone yet, but…I'm pregnant." she admitted quietly with a smile.

Anna's mouth fell open before squealing quietly and throwing her arms around her cousin. Tonks laughed, returning the hug easily.

"Oh my gosh, really?!" Anna whisper shouted, pulling back and looking at her cousin. Tonks was glowing, a warm and truly happy smile on her face. She wasn't lying when she said she was happy. "So, what's the problem, then?" Anna asked, confused.

Tonks sighed and glanced toward the bathroom door. They could barely hear the shower running. "Remus isn't happy about it." she admitted.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked worriedly.

"Well, he hasn't said it out loud." Tonks assured her. "He…pretends he's happy. He acts like he's happy, to me. But I can tell. He's really obvious in faking his happiness. Especially when I talk about the baby, or he looks at my stomach. I can tell he's in pain over it."

Anna frowned worriedly. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No, it's fine. We're working on it." Tonks assured her, though it wasn't too convincing. "Thank you, though. It's nice having someone else know who's happy about it."

Anna smiled sadly, wrapping an arm around her cousin's shoulder in a hug.

XXX

The warm, summer sun shone down on a large, white marquee in the orchard behind the Burrow. Although Anna's dark hair absorbed the sun's heat into her scalp, the breeze felt nice in the light, simple dress she was wearing.

Leaving her parents and Aslan to talk to Arthur and Charlie, Anna approached the four redheaded young men standing just outside the marquee.

"When I get married," one of them said, tugging on the collar of his dress robes, "I won't be bothering with any of this nonsense. You can all wear what you like, and I'll put a full Body-Bind Curse on Mum until it's all over."

Anna stopped a few feet behind him and crossed her arms with a slight smirk. The other three redheads glanced at her, also smirking.

"I'm all for putting your mum in a Body-Bind Curse, but shouldn't you be discussing these things with me before making any actual decisions?" Anna asked jokingly.

Fred spun around to look at her, his eyes wide. George, Ron, and the other redhead burst out laughing.

"Um, well," Fred paused, looked her over, and grinned charmingly at her. "You look beautiful, love."

Anna was dressed in a simple, sleeveless dress. It was light blue, went down to her knees, and there was a strap going around her neck to keep it up. Her dark brown hair was long and in loose curls, the pieces around her face pulled back into a mini ponytail at the back of her head.

"Suck up." Anna laughed while Fred pulled her into a hug, kissing the side of her head. She waved at Ron and the other redhead, who Anna knew was Harry in disguise. Arthur had mentioned when she arrived that Harry was Polyjuiced to look like a redheaded Muggle boy from Ottery St. Catchpole, and they'd be calling him their cousin Barny Weasley. His red hair was curly, and he was a bit pudgier than Harry typically was, making his dress robes a bit tight.

"And don't act like it's not tempting." Fred continued, pulling back even though he kept an arm around her waist. "This wedding's been driving Mum mental."

"She wasn't too bad this morning, considering." George pointed out. "Cried a bit about Percy not being here, but who wants him? Oh blimey, brace yourselves-here they come, look."

Sure enough, several people were appearing just outside the protective barriers, approaching the large marquee.

"I can show you to your seat now, if you want." Fred offered. "Or you can wait a bit. You're sitting up front with us."

"Really? Why? I thought that would be for family." Anna asked curiously.

Fred and George looked at her like she was crazy. "You do know what this means, right?" Fred checked, lifting up her left hand to show her the engagement ring on her finger.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Oh, shush. I'll wait here for a little bit, if that's okay."

"That's fine." Fred assured her, kissing her cheek.

Fred escorted the first group, a cluster of middle-aged witches, into the marquee. George was more than happy to escort some of Fleur's veela cousins, being his usual charming self and playing up his lack of ear when they asked about the bandage wrapped around his head. Ron helped one of Arthur's colleagues, Perkins, to his seat while Harry helped a slightly deaf couple.

Anna greeted Hagrid, who was next in line, and they talked for a moment before Fred came and escorted the half-giant to his seat. George and Ron escorted a couple more groups before Harry returned to find Remus and Dora in front of the line.

While Tonks explained why they'd left the party to Harry, Anna was starting to wonder if she should've taken Fred up on his offer to find her seat. Either that, or maybe she could find Hermione, just to have someone to talk to. She was feelings slightly awkward and in the way.

While Harry lead Tonks and Remus to their seat, Hagrid was causing a slight ruckus after misunderstanding Fred's instructions. Instead of sitting in the large, magically reinforced chair in the back row made specifically for him, he'd sat in and crushed five other chairs.

Arthur fixed the damage while poor Hagrid shouted apologies for everyone to hear. Anna finally decided she was bored and feeling awkward enough, so she wandered back toward the house to see if she could find Hermione or someone else to talk to.

She passed the line of waiting guests, which included a group of warlocks, Luna Lovegood and who Anna guessed was her father, and Anna's own family.

As she wandered into the Burrow, she heard someone ambling down the creaky stairs.

"And make sure my tiara is straight!" a screech-like voice called as an elderly woman reached the bottom of the stairs. She was wearing a feathery, pink hat and her nose was very beak-like, reminding Anna of a flamingo. "It will complete the look perfectly. Who are you?" The woman asked abruptly, looking at Anna. "Another bridesmaid?"

"Um," Anna stumbled over her words for a moment. She hadn't expected the abrupt conversation. "I'm Annabelle. Anna. Anna Black." she stuttered, feeling slightly intimidated under the woman's judgmental, red-rimmed eyes.

The woman sniffed, lifting her nose snobbishly in a way that reminded Anna of Percy. "A Black? And why would a _Black_ be at a Weasley's wedding? I suppose you're related to that murderer, Sirius Black. Why my niece invited such company, I'll never know."

Anna's temper fought with her awkwardness, and she was about to snap that her father wasn't a murderer when Molly appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Muriel, we've been over this." Molly nearly snapped. It was clear preparing for the wedding was fraying her nerves a bit. "Sirius didn't murder anyone. He was framed. Him and his family are close family friends. Now, I'm sure Ron or one of the twins can escort you to your seat outside."

With that, Molly turned and hurried back up the stairs.

The woman, who Anna realized was Fred's Great Aunt Muriel, sniffed, glowered at Anna, and then waddled her way out the door.

Anna sighed, her shoulders slouching slightly.

"I see you've met Muriel."

Anna looked up and saw Hermione coming down the stairs. They smiled at each other.

"Unfortunately." Anna chuckled.

"Same here." Hermione admitted. "I like your dress."

"Thanks. Yours is pretty, too."

Hermione was dressed in a floaty, lilac dress, her hair sleek.

"Well, should we head out there?" Hermione suggested. Anna agreed and the two girls headed back out the door and headed back toward the marquee. As they hurried over, Ron and Harry were the only two standing outside the entrance.

"Wow." Ron stared at Hermione as they approached. "You look great!"

Anna and Harry exchanged smirks.

"Always the tone of surprise." Hermione joked, smiling at Ron. "Your Great-Aunt Muriel doesn't agree, I just met her upstairs while she was giving Fleur the tiara. She said, 'Oh dear, is this the Muggle-born?' and then, 'Bad posture and skinny ankles.'"

"Don't take it personally, she's rude to everyone." Ron assured her.

"Talking about Muriel?" George guessed as he and Fred emerged from the marquee. "Yeah, she's just told me my ears are lopsided. Old bat. I wish Uncle Bilius was still with us, though; he was a right laugh at weddings."

"Wasn't he the one who saw a Grim and died twenty-four hours later?" Hermione asked.

"Well, yeah, he went a bit odd toward the end." George admitted.

"But before he went loopy he was the life and soul of the party." Fred continued. "He used to down an entire bottle of firewhiskey, then run onto the dance floor, hoist up his robes, and start pulling bunches of flowers out of his-"

"Yes, he sounds like a real charmer." Hermione agreed sarcastically while Anna and Harry burst out laughing.

"Sounds like something you two would pull off." Anna told the twins, then her smile dropped. "Don't even think about it." she added sternly. The twins smirked at her.

"Tempting." George told her. "But Mum would kill us."

"Anyway, would you _now_ like me to escort you to your seat?" Fred asked, offering her his elbow.

"Why, thank you." she giggled, slipping her hand through the crook of his elbow and allowing him to lead her into the marquee.

Inside the marquee, rows upon rows of the fragile golden chairs were almost completely full of people turned and talking among themselves. As Fred lead her down the purple carpet, Anna couldn't help imagining what it would feel like to be walked down the aisle at her own wedding. She blushed, suddenly thinking she wasn't sure she wanted this many people. With her luck, she'd trip over air.

The supporting poles of the marquee were entwined with white and gold flowers. There was a bunch of golden balloons floating over Bill where he was standing up front awaiting his bride. Charlie was standing next to him. Both men were dressed in dress robes with white roses in their buttonholes.

As Fred and Anna reached the front row, Anna met Charlie's eyes. He winked at her and mouthed what looked like 'You're next.' Anna blushed and stuck her tongue out at him.

Fred helped her sit near the far side of the front row on the right side of the aisle. Once she was sitting, he sat in the chair next to her, putting his arm over the back of her chair.

"Shouldn't you still be helping your brothers?" she asked him quietly.

"Nah. There shouldn't be many more guests coming this late. Plus, I wanna know why you're blushing so much." he teased, turning to look down at her.

Anna looked down at her lap, trying to hide her still-blushing cheeks. "No reason. Charlie's just being a git."

"Well, that's normal." Fred chuckled. "You sure it has nothing to do with you imagining walking down the aisle yourself in the future?"

Anna's head snapped up and she stared at him with wide eyes. He smiled knowingly at her and she smiled sheepishly in return.

"Maybe a bit." she admitted quietly.

Fred leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Same here." he whispered. Anna smiled and refrained from snuggling into his side. After all, they were sitting in the front row of his brother's wedding. They didn't need to go overboard on the PDA.

Everyone started whispering excitedly and turning in their seats when Harry lead Viktor Krum into the marquee. Just as he was taking his seat, George, Ron, and Hermione hurried up the aisle and to their seats. George sat in the front row next to Fred while Harry, Ron, and Hermione took a few seats in the second row right behind the twins.

There was excited murmuring among all the guests. Then, Molly and Arthur came walking up the aisle, waving at relatives and friends. They took their seats next to George in the front row by the middle.

The chattering only fell silent when music started playing from the balloons. Everyone seemed to turn at the same moment, looking back toward the entrance to the tent.

Monsieur Delacour entered leading Fleur on his arm. Anna was slightly surprised Fleur picked a very simple, white dress. She seemed like the type to have fancy, expensive taste; of course Anna didn't know her that well. And even wearing a simple dress, Fleur seemed to glow with radiance.

Just behind the pair, Ginny and Fleur's sister Gabrielle entered wearing golden dresses.

Bill didn't take his eyes off Fleur the moment she entered the marquee, and Anna smiled at the complete adoration in his expression.

Fred leaned in and breathed almost silently into Anna's ear, "You'll look more beautiful when it's our turn."

Anna blushed and didn't comment, just bumped her elbow against his ribs. He was obviously mental.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a tufty-haired wizard had appeared in front of the bride and groom. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls…"

"Yes, my tiara sets off the whole thing nicely." Muriel whispered a bit loudly from a couple rows back. "But I must say, Ginevra's dress is far too low cut."

Anna covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Ginny glanced back and grinned, winking at someone in the second row, who Anna guessed was Harry, before facing forward again.

"She's not wrong." Fred grumbled quietly. Anna laughed silently, her shoulders shaking with amusement.

The ceremony was short and sweet, and Molly and Madam Delacour were both crying shortly into the ceremony. Anna leaned her head on Fred's shoulder, trying to hide that her own eyes were tearing up as she watched. Bill and Fleur's eyes didn't stray once through the whole ceremony.

"…then I declare you bonded for life."

The wizard waved his wand over Bill and Fleur's heads, showering silver stars over them as they kissed.

Fred pulled his arm from around Anna's shoulders so he and George could lead the loud applause. The golden balloons floating over the bride and groom burst, releasing birds of paradise and tiny golden bells around the newly-wed couple.

XXX

Anna laughed with Fred. They were watching George flirt with some veela cousins, and Fred was making entertaining commentary.

"I'm surprised you don't want to join him." Anna teased lightly, leaning into his side. His arm was over the back of her chair, and they were sitting at one of the round tables with a couple other guests that were in their own conversations.

"I don't need to flirt with anyone other than my own future bride." Fred told her charmingly. He then picked up her left hand and kissed her knuckles right by her engagement ring.

"Well, aren't you charming." Anna teased, blushing lightly.

"That's the point." Fred told her, leaning in for a kiss.

"So, that's why my Great niece was so defensive." a familiar voice spoke from nearby. Anna and Fred pulled away and looked over at the table next to theirs. Muriel was sitting there watching them, drinking from a goblet of champagne. "I suppose I'll have to attend another wedding in the future. Joy." she stated dully.

"Don't worry. We don't have to invite you." Fred informed her sharply.

"Watch your tone, young man. I've always said Molly was too lenient with you and that twin of yours. Should've put you over her knee a few times." Muriel stated disdainfully.

"Come on, Auntie Muriel." a familiar voice chided lightly as Charlie approached them, resting his hand on Fred's shoulder. "This is a wedding. We're supposed to be having a good time. Can't you let loose once in a while? On that note, I'm stealing your fiancé for a round on the dance floor." he informed Fred. When Anna took Charlie's hand and stood up, Charlie leaned down and whispered, "Behave." in his brother's ear before leading her onto the gleaming, gold dance floor.

The canvas walls of the marquee had vanished after the ceremony, leaving just a canopy on golden poles and a beautiful view of the orchard and the sun touching the tops of the trees.

"Sorry about her." Charlie told Anna as they faced each other. One of Anna's hands rested on his shoulder while he held the other and his free hand rested on her waist. "Most of our relatives aren't as grumpy. She's more of the black sheep of the Prewett side."

Anna chuckled. "Good to know. Although, I'm kinda nervous about inviting her to mine and Fred's wedding. She kinda scares me." she admitted, only partially joking.

"Yeah, she's a crotchety old bat. Keeps lecturing me about moving back to Britain and settling down with a nice witch instead of 'wrestling those giant lizards'." he said, mimicking Muriel's voice on the last few words.

Anna chuckled. "That actually sounds a bit like your mum."

"Now you know where she gets it." Charlie joked.

They danced quietly for a moment.

"So,…I noticed that Fleur had two bridesmaids but Bill only had you up there with him." she stated quietly.

Charlie smiled sadly. "Yeah. He wrote to Percy a couple times asking him to stand with him. But Percy never wrote back, and obviously he didn't come. And Bill didn't want to have to choose between one of the twins, so it was just me."

Anna nodded in understanding.

She was distracted by Luna and Ginny dancing nearby. Luna was waving her arms around her head as if trying to wave off flies or something. Ginny was doing something similar, but she appeared to be doing it for fun. Anna wasn't sure why Luna was dancing like that.

Charlie chuckled, watching his sister and her classmate. "Do I even want to know what they're doing?"

"Probably not." Fred answered, suddenly popping up next to them. "You don't know Luna like we do. She's brilliant, though. Lots of fun. Now, may I have my fiancé back? I swear I got rid of Muriel without being rude, drawing my wand, or breaking the law."

Anna and Charlie laughed at him, though Charlie stepped back easily, releasing Anna from his grasp.

"Go ahead, little brother. Don't wear her out too much, though."

"I make no promises." Fred grinned, winking at Anna before sweeping her up into another dance.

As he spun her around under his arm, Anna caught a glimpse of Ron dancing nearby with Hermione, and Ginny was now dancing with Lee Jordan.

"When'd Lee get here?" Anna asked curiously as Fred pulled her close again, his arms wrapping around her waist.

"Before the wedding while you were wandering around trying to find some friends." Fred teased.

Anna moved forward out of step to stomp on his toes, making him yelp. Anna laughed at him while he glared playfully at her.

They danced to one more song before they stopped to watch Bill and Fleur cut their wedding cake, which caused the two model phoenixes on the cake to take flight.

Aslan had a sugar crash later in the evening, though how he could sleep through the increasingly-rowdy party, Anna had no clue. She was currently sitting at a table, her brother asleep on her lap with his head on her chest. She'd offered to take him for a bit so her parents could dance and talk with friends without having to worry about him. She was trying not to laugh at some of the guests, worried her shaking chest would be the final straw to waking Aslan. But it was near-impossible, especially when Hagrid, Charlie, and a stubby wizard wearing a purple porkpie hat were singing 'Odo the Hero'. They'd clearly been enjoying a bit too much of the champagne, which was floating around the crowd in bottles.

Continuing to scan the crowd, Anna saw her parents dancing close together, her dad whispering things into her mum's ear that she was positive would scar her if she ever heard them. Nearby, Fred and Ginny were dancing like crazy, causing several people to laugh. Molly was talking with Tonks a few feet from them.

"I can take him if you want."

Anna looked up just as Remus sat down next to her. He looked worn out but he held his hands out in offering of taking the sleeping toddler from her.

"Are you sure?" Anna checked. Remus loved his godson, that much was obvious from the moment Aslan was born, practically. She didn't understand why he could love Aslan, but not be happy about his own child.

"Of course. I'm sure you'd rather hang out with your friends or Fred. I'm pretty tired, so I'm fine with watching Aslan."

"If you're sure." Anna waited a moment for Remus to back out, but he just stretched his hands a bit closer, so Anna carefully passed her sleeping brother into his arms. "Thanks, Remus."

"No problem. Have some fun before the night's over." Remus told her with a small smile.

Anna stood and slowly wandered around the edges of the crowds, looking around for someone to talk to or dance with.

Her search was interrupted by an arm hooking around her waist. She gasped before sighing with relief and leaning into the familiar chest she'd been pulled into.

"Looking for me?" a familiar voice teased near her ear.

"Nope. I was looking for George." Anna answered with a straight face, looking up at Fred. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Well, you're too late. He's already wandered off with one of Fleur's cousins." Fred stated with a smirk.

"Weren't him and Katie dating?" Anna asked suddenly.

"Off and on. They aren't necessarily dating."

"Okay. Anyway, Remus relieved me from babysitting duty. What do you want to do?"

Fred grinned mischievously. Then, he grabbed her hand in his and started leading her out of the marquee and into the orchard.

"Fred." Anna giggled as her fiancé lead her around a tree. Then, he sat down against the trunk and tugged on her hand, silently telling her to join him. Tucking her dress close to her bum, she carefully sat on the grass next to him, leaning into his side as he put an arm around her shoulders.

They could still hear the music and voices from the party, Hagrid's singing booming loudest over everything else.

"Do you want this?" Fred asked suddenly. Anna shifted her head against his shoulder, looking up at him curiously. "Would you want a wedding like this?" he rephrased.

Anna chewed her lip thoughtfully, looking ahead into the dark forest. "Um,…" She hesitated in voicing what she wanted. After all, Fred had stated earlier that day to his brothers and Harry what he wanted in a wedding.

"What?" Fred asked, running his hand up and down her arm. "You can tell me, love. We promised to be honest with each other."

"I like _some_ of what Bill and Fleur did." she admitted. "Their wedding was both simple and elaborate. But I'd want ours to be…simpler?"

"Simpler how?" Fred asked with a grin. "I need details, Anna."

She sighed, slouching more into him as she looked into the dark orchard. "Like…I don't know. What do you want?"

"I asked first. Quit changing the subject."

"You said you wouldn't let me become a bridezilla."

"You telling me what you want in our wedding does not make you a bridezilla. We'll talk it out and come to an agreement on things. Now, come on. Talk."

Anna sighed before deciding to start with the easy stuff. "Well, obviously our parents and siblings have to be there."

"Obviously."

"I don't know how many of your relatives you'd want to invite…" Anna started hesitantly. "I mean,…you have a really big family…"

"And I'm not that close with a lot of them." Fred told her gently. "We don't have to invite my whole family, Anna. And you know, we could invite people to the reception instead of the wedding if you feel bad about that, but you really don't have to. It's our choice."

"I know. We'll work that out another time. What about bridesmaids and groomsmen? George will be your best man, I'm guessing." she stated knowingly.

"You know me so well." Fred grinned playfully, kissing her on the cheek. "What about your…what's it called? Maid something."

"Maid of honor. I'm not sure. Either Ginny or Hermione. Maybe Tonks. Probably Ginny, since she's both my friend and your sister. If you want all your brothers to be groomsmen, I could ask a few other girls to be bridesmaids, like Katie, Alicia, Angelina, and maybe Fleur, so the numbers would match."

"Well, I'm assuming you'll want Charlie to be in it." Fred guessed with a grin. "Maybe Harry?"

"That would be nice." Anna admitted with a soft smile.

"What about Aslan?"

Anna frowned thoughtfully, looking upward for a moment. "I don't know if he'd cooperate being a groomsmen. Maybe if Harry held him or something. But…maybe he could help my dad walk me down the isle?"

"That's a good idea." Fred agreed with a smile. "What about flowers or colors? Isn't that a wedding thing?"

Anna laughed quietly, her head still leaning on his shoulder. "I guess so. I don't know, I'm not good with colors. But for flowers…maybe oriental lilies and tulips?" she suggested sweetly.

Fred chuckled. "That would probably be perfect. What about color?"

Anna hummed thoughtfully, looking up at him. "Well, we'd probably have to pick a color that won't clash horribly with your hair." she stated in a mock-serious voice. She added more teasingly, "And despite what you think, magenta does not go well with ginger."

Fred scrunched his nose up playfully at her before ticking her ribs. She squealed, trying to wiggle away from him, but his arm around her waist held her in place. He even stuck his face in her neck and blew into her skin, his breath tickling and making her giggle more.

"Stop, stop!" she shrieked, trying not to get too loud.

Fred laughed, taking pity on her even though he tightened his hold, keeping her close as he leaned back against the trunk.

"Okay, so no magenta. Any other suggestions?"

Anna was still trying to catch her breath. "How about…blue?"

"That's a good one. We'll keep that one in mind." Fred agreed. "Now, what about-"

He cut off as something silver glowed in the sky above the canopy of trees. Anna and Fred scrambled to their feet, pulling their wands out with their eyes fixed on the light as it flew through the sky. They had to turn and look around the trunk of the tree they'd previously been sitting against to watch the light go right through the cloth canopy of the marquee. The voices and music almost instantly fell silent and Fred and Anna barely heard Kingsley's familiar, deep voice.

 _"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."_

Fred and Anna exchanged a horrified glance before they began to hurry toward the marquee, weaving through trees until they were running toward the crowd still under the tent.

The silence in the orchard was broken by a single scream. This terror spread through the crowd until everyone was panicking. As Fred and Anna slowed to a stop just under the lantern-lit marquee, people were running in all directions, the air riddled with loud pops as people Disapparated.

"The protective enchantments are broken." Anna spoke just loud enough for Fred to hear her over the chaos, but neither really paid attention to it. They were both frantically searching the crowd, their wands in their hands, trying to locate their loved ones.

Before she found a familiar face, however, Anna saw cloaked, masked figures appearing among the crowd.

Death Eaters.

Anna's eyes searched frantically for a second, before she raised her wand.

" _Stupefy_!" she yelled, her spell firing toward one of the Death Eaters. Fred was soon firing spells, as well.

Anna noticed Remus and Dora firing spells, and several people were still Disapparating. She barely caught a glimpse of Harry, Hermione, and Ron before the trio disappeared. They were safe.

"George!" Fred called. Anna glanced around and saw George standing at Ginny's side, both dueling with another Death Eater. Then, just past them, Anna saw them. Her parents. And Aslan.

Wren and Sirius were standing together, alternating between being back-to-back and at each other's side as they dueled any Death Eater that dared attack them. Sirius was holding Aslan with one arm, dueling with the other. When Anna caught a look at her brother's face when her father turned, she saw the fear in his expression, his mouth open in a cry that she couldn't hear over the surrounding chaos.

Anna hurried into the crowd without another thought, ignoring Fred calling her name. She dodged people, both guests and Death Eaters, firing spells at any cloaked figure that dared stop her. Then, she reached her parents' side, turning to fight alongside them.

"Get out of here!" Sirius yelled, glancing over at his wife and daughter. "Take Aslan and go home. I'll come after this is over."

"I'm not leaving you and the Weasleys here to deal with this alone!" Wren snapped.

"Wren!" Remus called, hurrying up to them. "Sirius is right. You need to get Aslan somewhere safe. This is too dangerous for him."

Wren looked at war with herself, glancing around the marquee, which was becoming less and less crowded as guests continued to Disapparate. Then, her eyes landed on Aslan, who was looking at her from over his father's shoulder as Sirius continued to fire protective spells. Tear tracks stained Aslan's cheeks as he stared in terror around him.

Wren deflated before taking her son from Sirius. "Fine, I'll go. But you better come home soon!" she told Sirius.

"I'll come home in a little bit, love. I promise." Sirius assured her before going back into the fight.

Wren's expression was one of pure agony before she disappeared with a _CRACK_.

"Anna!" Fred hurried through the crowd, stunning a Death Eater as he passed. "Get out of here. Go home."

"What? You can't expect me to-"

"Just go. I'll send word later to let you know what happened." Fred assured her. "I promise. Please. They probably only want Harry. If you're still here, someone might know your connection to him. Just go."

Anna looked into Fred's eyes for a second before nodding. Taking a deep breath, she turned on the spot and reappeared in the woods behind her house.

After the chaos that was the wedding party, the dark woods behind her home were eerily silent, the only sounds were the wind rustling through the leaves and an owl hooting in the distance.

Now, all she had to do was wait at home with her mum and brother, hoping to hear some good news.


	26. It Starts

Annabelle sat on the very edge of the couch, her leg bouncing anxiously. She was still wearing her dress from the wedding, but she'd taken off her shoes. A steaming cup of tea sat on the coffee table in front of her, but it remained untouched. Another cup sat next to it, her mum sitting next to her on the couch. Aslan was curled up in Wren's arms, half-asleep. Both witches had been trying to convince Aslan to sleep, but he refused, continuously asking for 'Daddy' and 'Moony'.

It'd been almost two hours since Anna had arrived home after the attack on Bill and Fleur's wedding, but it felt like ages with still no word. She had no idea what was happening, if anyone had been hurt or killed, if the attack was even still happening. And not knowing was driving her mental.

"Maybe I should go back to check." Anna mumbled quietly, more to herself.

"You don't know what's happening." Wren whispered, gently rocking Aslan in her arms to try and get him to sleep. "You may be Apparating right into the middle of a situation that you could make worse. If we don't hear word by morning, we'll do something."

Anna groaned, raking her hands through her messy, dark hair; she'd long-since pulled out her mini ponytail, leaving her hair in loose curls.

"I just-"

The backdoor swung open, cutting Anna off and making both witches snap their heads around to stare expectantly.

Sirius walked into the house, followed closely by Fred.

Anna jumped to her feet and hurried over to them.

"What happened? Is everyone okay?" she demanded, hugging her dad tightly before stepping aside and hugging Fred. Her fiancé held her close, kissing the top of her head before releasing her.

"As okay as to be expected." Sirius answered, approaching his wife, who'd stood up. Aslan, wide awake at the noise, immediately held his hands out for his dad. Sirius took him and held him close before using one arm to hug his wife.

"So, what happened?" Anna demanded, looking impatiently between the two men. "Details, please."

"Well, luckily most of the guests had Disapparated before too many Death Eaters showed up." Fred told her. "It was mostly just family and close friends, like Sirius and Remus. We fought with the Death Eaters for a while before they gathered us together to interrogate us. It sounds like they didn't know Harry had been there, they were just covering their bases. They searched the place from top to bottom, not letting any of us leave until they gave us permission."

"But everyone knows Ron's best friends with Harry. What did they say when Ron wasn't there?" Wren asked worriedly, pulling back just enough to look between Fred and Sirius.

Fred smirked tiredly while Sirius let out a barklike laugh.

"As far as they could tell, Ron was, and is, still at the Burrow." Fred stated confidently.

"How?" Anna asked incredulously. "Wouldn't they have needed proof?"

"They got their proof. As far as they know, Ron is ill at home with Spattergroit."

"How'd you pull that off?" Wren asked curiously while Sirius hid his laughter in her hair.

"We made the family ghoul look like him. Gave him red hair, pajamas, and boils. Looks just like Ron."

Anna laughed, swatting Fred's chest. "And whose bright idea was this?" she asked teasingly, not admitting out loud that it really was a genius idea.

"Ron's. Me, George, and Dad helped him." Fred admitted. "Anyway, that's pretty much all that happened. They interrogated us and searched the place, but we'll need to be careful. They'll be watching all of us. Dad sent a message to Harry and the others, letting them know we're all okay and not to contact anyone."

"Let's just hope they're okay." Wren whispered.

XXX

Anna entered her home by the front door one evening a few days later, pausing when she saw who was sitting on the couch with her dad.

Sitting side-by-side on the couch in front of the fireplace, both leaning forward with their elbows on their knees, were Sirius and Remus.

Eyes narrowed, Anna tossed down her bag and stormed across the living room as both men glanced up at her.

"Anna." Sirius warned.

"You stupid git!" Anna snapped, stopping in front of Remus and glaring down at him. "I can't believe you-"

"Anna, I'm not in the mood." Remus told her tensely.

"Well, that's just too bad, _Lupin_. I don't care about your mood, not after the day I've just had." Anna told him, the roots of her dark hair slowly fading into a dark crimson. "I was just at the Tonks house, consoling my cousin. My cousin who's never cried over a man, my cousin who's a kick-arse Auror who doesn't take crap from anyone. Do you know how _broken_ she is right now?" Anna demanded rhetorically. "She tried to hold it together, she knows why you did it, but abandoning your pregnant wife in the middle of a war? What the bloody hell is wrong with you?!" she exclaimed.

"I don't need to hear it, Annabelle; I already heard it from Harry." Remus growled.

Anna faltered, her anger diminishing out of pure shock.

"You spoke to Harry?" she stuttered.

"Yes, and he called me a coward and said I should've stayed with my wife and child. I don't need you telling me things I already know." Remus snapped. "My child would be ashamed to have me for a father. You know how people view werewolves. Dora and our child are better off without me."

"And you call yourself a Gryffindor." Anna whispered, shaking her head at him. "Your child wouldn't be ashamed of you. You are a better man than most people in the world. You're an amazing godfather to Aslan. I see you as a second father. Any child would be lucky to have you."

"And if the baby turns out like me?" Remus muttered, his eyes fixed on his hands.

"If it turns out to be a werewolf, or a part werewolf, it'll be lucky to have you to guide him or her, and it will be loved and cared for by all of us." Anna answered easily.

"She's right, Moony." Sirius told his best friend, resting a hand on Remus's shoulder. "This kid'll be lucky to have you for a dad. I mean, you got enough practice being a dad when we were kids, didn't you?" he added, partially joking. "Keeping me and James in line in school? You were practically a dad already."

Remus snorted, a very slight twitch of his lips showing he was coming around.

No longer feeling enraged, Anna sat on the couch on Remus's other side.

"If you go home now, there'll be nothing to be ashamed of." Anna told him quietly. "Andromeda and Ted don't care about you being a werewolf, but they're not too thrilled that you walked out on their pregnant daughter. But if you go back now, and be there for Tonks, all of this will be forgotten. Prove to Dora that you love her, because I know that you do. Prove to her parents that you'll protect her and their grandchild. And be there for your child, no matter what may come. He or she will never know you walked out on them; your baby will only know that his or her parents love them and will always protect them."

They sat in silence for a while, letting Remus absorb what Anna had said. They were all emotionally and physically exhausted. In the four days since the wedding, things had been crazy.

While Death Eaters attacked the wedding, they were also invading multiple Order-related homes. They burned down Dedalus Diggle's house, but luckily he hadn't been there. They also tortured Andromeda and Ted Tonks with the Cruciatus Curse, trying to get information on Harry. They were shaken, but not seriously hurt.

The _Daily Prophet_ had clearly been taken over by Death Eaters. They'd released a front page story with Harry's picture and the headline _'Wanted for Questioning About the Death of Albus Dumbledore'_. They announced a Muggle-born Register the same day.

They'd also put out the story that Scrimgeour had resigned and was replaced with Pius Thicknesse. It was obvious to anyone affiliated with the Order that Thicknesse was under the Imperius Curse and was merely Voldemort's puppet. Voldemort was just making the transition as smooth and low-key as possible to avoid suspicion, even though most people could surely guess what was happening. They were all too scared to voice their fears, however, which was exactly what Voldemort wanted.

After several moments of silence, Remus sighed heavily, running a hand through his graying hair.

"Well, I reckon I should go back, then. And grovel for forgiveness." Remus decided, slowly rising to his feet. Anna and Sirius stood up as well. "Know of any florists that are still open at this hour?" he added, partially joking.

"Not any that haven't been driven out of business by Death Eaters." Sirius joked grimly. "You'd be better off stopping by a Muggle park."

"And don't forget to get her some chocolate." Anna added, mildly teasing.

A tiny smile twitched on Remus's lips. "Might have to go the extra mile and get her a whole chocolate cake."

"That's the spirit!" Anna beamed, giving him a hug. Remus chuckled quietly, giving her a tight squeeze before he stepped back. Sirius gave him a sort of hug as well before seeing him out.

XXX

Anna shakily set her quill down on her desk, her hand trembling. She pushed the parchment away and set her elbows on the desk, her hands moving to cover her face.

She couldn't keep this up. She couldn't continue to do this.

She'd known the Muggle-born Register would be awful from the start, but she didn't realize how hard it would be on her.

Since the announcement of the Muggle-born Register, several Muggle-borns were called into the Ministry a day, interrogated relentlessly. Many of them tried to claim they weren't really Muggle-borns, because that was now a crime of sorts. The purebloods and Death Eaters running the Ministry were convinced Muggle-borns could only exist by stealing the magic of 'real' witches and wizards. This meant, if you were found guilty of being a Muggle-born you'd have your wand snapped and were sent to Azkaban.

Most Muggle-borns were going into hiding, but the _Prophet_ was releasing lists of Muggle-borns who didn't present themselves for questioning.

And how did this all affect Anna? Well, as she worked in the Investigation Department, it was her job to research and make cases for or against accused individuals. That now meant it was her job to make cases against Muggle-borns.

She knew realistically that if she tried making cases to help the accused Muggle-borns it would paint a target on her back and possibly land her in Azkaban, or worse. She'd managed to subtly help a couple Muggle-borns whose cases landed on her desk by finding a way to link them to known witches and wizards, but those opportunities were few and far between.

Even though she knew there wasn't much she could do, the guilt of playing a part in ruining these peoples' lives was killing her. It was sickening, and it was slowly eating her up from the inside out.

Deciding she couldn't work for another minute for the day, Anna shoved her personal belongings into her bag, stood up, and hurried from her cubical.

She hurried out of the room and toward the nearest lift. She rode the lift to the Atrium on Level 8, and she stepped out as soon as the lift doors opened.

Unfortunately, she walked right into someone else.

Anna's body practically bounced off a taller, skinny body, sending folders and sheets of parchment fluttering to the ground around their feet.

"I'm so sorry!" Anna exclaimed.

"You should be more careful where you're walking!" a familiar, pompous voice snapped.

Anna's eyes flew up to stare at Percy Weasley. He gave her an annoyed glance before kneeling down to start gathering his things together. Anna quickly did the same, helping him pick up his work.

"Sorry again." Anna told him, handing him all she collected when the parchment and folders no longer littered the ground.

Percy sighed. "I suppose I should've been watching, as well. Thank you." he added tiredly, taking the parchment from her. They both stood up and Percy looked at her again, his blue eyes narrowing curiously. "Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked after a moment.

"Um, well, yeah." Anna admitted uncertainly. "We went to school together. I'm Anna. Annabelle Black?"

Percy's eyes widened slightly, and he looked a bit uncomfortable. "Oh…I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you."

"Yeah, it's been a few years." Anna agreed quietly.

"You…work in the Ministry?" Percy asked uncertainly, looking over her work robes. "I would've thought…I mean, I heard the twins opened a shop."

Anna nodded. "Yeah, I help there on the weekends, but I work in the Investigation Department."

Percy nodded, still looking awkward and uncomfortable. "Ah. Good for you. So,…I take it you're still close with…my brothers?" he guessed.

Anna nodded, also mildly uncomfortable. "Yeah, we're still close." she admitted, not mentioning being Fred's fiancé. She wasn't even sure Percy knew they'd dated. She assumed Molly would've told him, since her and Fred started dating before Percy disowned the family, but she wasn't sure.

Percy swallowed and glanced around uncomfortably for a moment. "Did you go to the wedding?" he finally asked quietly.

"Yeah." Anna answered quietly. "It was lovely. But I think Bill would've preferred you standing with him and Charlie."

Percy winced and looked down at his feet. Anna felt bad for the comment, seeing how much it hurt him, but before she could apologize, he looked at her again with a worried expression.

"Do you know if anyone was…Well, it's just that, I heard there was an attack…"

"No one was killed or seriously hurt." Anna assured him. "They were mostly just interrogated, and now pretty much everyone's under surveillance."

Percy nodded tensely, suddenly looking around as if he expected someone to be listening in on their conversation.

"Well,…I better get going. I have a lot of important paperwork to finish for Minister Thicknesse before the day's done. It was nice to see you, Annabelle." Percy announced in his brisk, dignified voice.

"Nice to see you, too." Anna agreed with a smile before heading toward the fireplaces to Floo home.

XXX

August proved to be long, hot, and horrible.

Kingsley Shacklebolt was now on the run and had sent a warning to any Order member he could that Voldemort's name was now a Tabboo, which meant if 'Voldemort' was spoken, any protective spells around the person who spoke it would break and the Death Eaters could find them. This was how Kingsley was cornered by several Death Eaters before he managed to fight his way out. Hence, why he was now on the run.

September wasn't off to a great start, either. On September first the _Daily Prophet_ announced several staffing changes. The worst was that Snape would be the Hogwarts Headmaster. The Muggle Studies professor supposedly 'resigned' and was replaced by Alecto Carrow. Amycus Carrow was now the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. From what Anna had heard, the Carrow siblings were known Death Eaters. She seriously wondered how Ginny convinced Molly to let her go back to school. Then again, attending Hogwarts was no longer a choice, as it used to be. Voldemort had made it required for all wizarding children from ages 11 to 17. So, Ginny went back to school as she did every year, this time without any of her brothers.

Anna looked up in surprise when someone knocked on her cubicle at work. Tonks smiled slightly at her in greeting before entering the cubicle and sitting on the edge of Anna's desk.

"Morning."

"Good morning." Anna returned with a smile. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good. Though morning sickness is a pain in the arse." Dora stated bluntly.

"So I've heard." Anna agreed with a grin. Her dad had told her a few times how miserable her mum had been during both pregnancies when it came to morning sickness.

"But Mum told me peppermint tea helps with morning sickness, so Remus has been brewing that for me every morning, and it's honestly been helping a lot."

"That's sweet."

Remus had done as he said he would. He'd gone back to Tonks and was making up for not being there at first. And it seemed he was actually starting to like the idea of being a dad.

"Yeah, it is." Dora sighed, smiling softly. "Anyway, I came over here to ask if you've heard from Ginny."

"She only went to school yesterday. Do you really think she's had time to write a letter?" Anna asked.

"Given how bad it probably is over there? Maybe."

Anna grimaced. "Well,…you're right."

"Really?" Dora's eyes widened. "What'd she say?"

Anna pulled out the letter she'd received that morning, passing it to Dora to read. She'd read it enough she knew what Ginny had said in it.

There wasn't much info in it. Mostly it was Ginny confirming that Snape was Headmaster and the Carrows were professors. Oh, and she mentioned Dean Thomas hadn't gone back to school. Seamus Finnigan confirmed quietly that, as a Muggle-born, Dean had gone into hiding.

"Wow." Dora breathed, handing the letter back to Anna. "Things are getting worse."

"And they'll keep getting worse." Anna guessed, putting the letter back in her bag. "Anyway,-"

 _"Intruder! There are intruders in the Ministry! All exits will be sealed!"_

Anna and Dora met eyes wide in shock. Around them, panicked and curious voices sounded across the room, varying in volume. Anna instinctively stood up and looked around the room above her cubicle walls, and noticed several others doing the same.

"Do you know what's going on?" she asked the wizard sitting in neighboring cubicle, a young man named Zack.

"I heard someone a few cubicles down said someone broke into the Ministry, even stunned a couple important people. They even stunned Yaxley!" he added with wide eyes. "So they're sealing off all the exits to keep the person from leaving."

XXX

"Hi Anna." George greeted Anna when she entered the backroom.

"Morning George." Anna returned the greeting tiredly, passing him a to-go cup of coffee.

"Well, don't you sound cheerful." George joked with a smirk, taking a sip of his coffee even though his eyes remained fixed on her expression as she sat next to him. "Long week at work?"

"Don't even ask." Anna sighed, flipping through the book of products to find the recipe for the first product she needed to make for the day.

They worked in silence for about ten minutes before George left his potion brewing and made his way to the main part of the shop. It was empty apart from a few customers. With most of their regulars in school or on the run, most of their orders were by owl.

He approached Fred, who was at the till. His elbow was propped up on the countertop, his cheek in his palm as he stared tiredly around the shop.

"Bored?" George guessed, coming up behind the register. He stood next to his twin, resting his elbows on the counter next to Fred's.

"Just a bit." Fred admitted with a grin. "How's work going back there?"

"Pretty good. I just finished a batch of Fever Fudge, so if you wanna switch, I can watch the front for a while." George told him. "Just a heads up. Anna seems a bit down. Think work's bugging her."

Fred frowned worriedly over at him. "Work's been bothering her a lot lately." he pointed out. He wasn't belittling his fiancé's feelings. He and George both knew how work had been bothering Anna lately, so George would only bring it up if she seemed worse than usual.

"Yeah. But she seemed more down than last week. Just saying." George shrugged before crossing the store to help a young wizard who was browsing the fireworks.

Fred sighed before heading into the backroom behind the counter. Anna was bent over the worktable, cutting up what looked like Venomous Tentacula seeds while a small fire brewed under a cauldron in front of her. Crossing the room quietly, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her into his chest.

"How are you doing?" he asked, kissing the back of her head.

"Fine. I've already finished a batch of Bruise Removal paste. Now I'm-"

"I wasn't asking what you were making." Fred interrupted her gently. "Did you have a hard week at work?"

"George rat me out?" Anna asked tensely.

"Didn't really need to." Fred answered. "You're kinda giving yourself away. But George is worried about you, too, you know. We both are."

Anna relaxed, placing her knife on the table and leaning back against his chest. "I know." she whispered. "It was just a long week. A long _month_ , really."

"Wanna talk about it?" Fred offered, gently squeezing his arms around her.

"How about you tell me about your week first." Anna suggested, turning and sitting on one of the chairs. Fred pulled the other one around to face her, sitting in it with a small smile.

"Alright. We'll take turns. Um,…" Fred thought for a moment about where to start. "Oh. Lee started a radio show of sorts."

"Really?" Anna asked in shock.

"Yep. But it's top secret." Fred told her. "You have to get passwords to actually get on it. He calls it Potterwatch. Basically just fills people in on what's really going on out there. But don't tell too many people, and don't tell anyone it's Lee. Everyone on there has to have nicknames so they won't get in trouble if the wrong person hears it."

Anna nodded in understanding. "That makes sense." She took a deep breath, knowing it was her turn to share. "Well,…You know Tonks' dad, Ted, had to go into hiding because he's a Muggleborn." Fred nodded. "People are still looking for him. I hear his name being brought up in the office at least once a day. Dora's been getting some problems at work because of it. People giving her a hard time. She can handle it, I mean, she's tough, but it's still her dad. She's already worried about him being caught without people giving her a hard time. But don't tell Remus. She doesn't want him or her mother to worry."

Fred nodded in understanding. "I won't." When Anna didn't start speaking again, Fred took that as it being his turn to speak. "Mum got a letter from Hogwarts earlier this week. Apparently Ginny, Neville, and Luna got detention."

Anna narrowed her eyes, trying to decide if she should be worried or not. Then, she decided she was very worried. "Were the Carrows in charge of it?"

"No, no, nothing like that." Fred quickly assured her, taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently. "Apparently, they broke into Snape's office to try and steal the Sword of Gryffindor. Snape punished them by sending them into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid."

Anna relaxed. "Well, that's not so bad. If anything, that might've been fun for them. At least it wasn't the Carrows."

"Yeah, I know." Fred agreed with a small smile. "I mean, we used to sneak into the Forest for fun, right?" he teased.

"Ha! That might've been fun for you and George, but it was bloody terrifying for me." Anna laughed, some of the weight leaving her shoulders as she reached forward to shove at his chest. Fred just laughed in return, rocking back with her push before easily returning to his upright position.

"Anyway, is there anything else bugging you?" Fred asked curiously.

Anna's smile faltered slightly.

"Have you heard of the Snatchers?" she asked quietly.

Fred hummed thoughtfully. "No, I don't think so. Who are they?"

Anna looked down, running her thumb over his knuckles.

"They're these groups of witches and wizards being formed. They're not really official law enforcement or anything…Basically they're out there hunting anyone who's on the run, particularly muggleborns and blood traitors, so they can collect on the rewards the Ministry's offering."

"And have they been succeeding in capturing people?" Fred asked worriedly.

Anna nodded. "A few, yeah. From what I've seen, most of them are pretty stupid. But there are a few groups that are really dangerous. Some of the people who're brought in are really roughed up. And the worst part, for me, is I have to look a lot of those people in the eye before or after writing up a case against them."

Fred reached forward and cradled her cheek in his hand, his thumb stroking her cheekbone. "You have to do what you have to do, Anna." he told her gently. "If you want, you could still quit your job there. You could work here full time. You know you've got a place here. Especially since Verity had to leave."

Verity had left a month back to go into hiding with her family, since her mum and sister-in-law were muggleborns.

"I know." Anna whispered, giving him a small smile. "But working where I am, I have a small chance of helping people where I can. It's just…"

Fred leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, gently pulling her onto his lap and holding her close. "I know." he breathed, his lips pressed against her hairline.


	27. Interrogate

A dark, cold mist blanketed the ground, turning the white snow on the ground to a dull gray. A sprinkling of heavy, wet snow was falling, melting as soon as it hit Annabelle's chilled skin. It was hard to discern what was melted snowflakes on her cheeks, and what was tears.

She watched silently, Aslan propped on her hip, as the two coffins were lowered into the matching graves. She could hear her mum crying softly into Sirius's chest next to her, but her mind was blank with grief, her eyes fixed on the large tombstone that stood at the head of both graves. One side read:

 _Winthrop Bourke_

 _1918-1997_

 _Loving husband, father, and grandfather_

 _A witness and contributor to the magic in the world_

 _He will be missed_

A little bit over, a similar message was etched into the stone:

 _Ethel Bourke_

 _1920-1997_

 _Loving wife, mother, and grandmother_

 _She brought more love and magic into the world in her life_

 _She will be missed_

An arm wrapped around Anna's shoulder, causing her to blink. She noticed that while she'd been spaced out, the graves had been filled in with a fresh patch of dirt. Swallowing, she turned and looked up at her dad. He gave her a sad smile, squeezing her to his side and kissing the side of her head.

They wandered over to where Wren was talking to her sister Kendra. There weren't many people present for the small funeral, just their two families. They couldn't risk inviting too many people, and most people wouldn't have been able to come, anyway. Kendra and Colton had pulled Audra from school for the funeral, which was in mid-December; a week after Ethel and Winthrop had been murdered by Death Eaters.

"We should get going." Kendra was saying as Anna and Sirius approached. She had her arm around Audra's shoulders, her other hand wrapped around ten year old Wilson's chest. Colton had his arm wrapped around his wife's waist.

"Do you know where you'll go?" Wren asked worriedly.

"What do you mean? Where are you going?" Anna asked, her voice hoarse from crying.

"We're going into hiding." Kendra admitted quietly, glancing around in case anyone was listening in on them. However, the graveyard was empty.

"We don't want to send Audra back to Hogwarts." Colton admitted.

"With Dad being a muggle and all, we don't want the Death Eaters taking it out on Audra at school." Kendra admitted, looking down at her daughter, who was staring sadly at her feet.

"If we go into hiding now, it'll be almost a month before the school notices anything, with Christmas holiday coming up." Colton explained. "And I've taken a few weeks off of work, so no one there will get suspicious for a while."

"Good thinking." Sirius agreed.

"It's not fair." Wilson pouted, crossing his arms. "I'm supposed to go to Hogwarts next year. Will we be back in time for that?" he asked, tilting his head to look up at his parents.

Kendra and Colton exchanged a worried glance, clearly unsure how to answer.

"Hogwarts isn't that great, Will." Audra muttered from behind her golden brown hair. "It's not like it used to be."

"But-"

"Anyway," Colton put his hand on his son's head, ruffling his black hair with his hand, "we'd best get going. If we can contact you, we will, but I don't see how that'll be possible."

"Best not to risk it." Wren agreed sadly. "Just be careful and take care of yourselves." she added, stepping forward and hugging her sister tightly.

Hugs and goodbyes were exchanged. Anna even hugged Colton goodbye, and she had no memory of ever doing that before.

The Black family watched as Colton and Kendra Apparated their family out of the graveyard, disappearing with a loud _CRACK_.

"I'm going to go to the shop." Anna stated suddenly.

"Anna, surely you don't need to work-" Wren started to argue, but Sirius tightened his hold around his wife's shoulders. He was looking at Anna knowingly with a sad smile.

"It's alright, Wren. I think Anna could use the twins' company. Just let us know if you plan on coming home tonight or not, okay?" he looked at his daughter.

Anna smiled slightly in thanks. "Yeah, I will. Thanks Dad. I'll see you later." She passed Aslan to her mum before Apparating with a loud _CRACK_.

She reappeared in Diagon Alley and hurried down the dark street toward Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, trying to ignore the dreary alley around her. When the joke shop came into view, she picked up her pace until she was just short of running toward the familiar, colorful building. She could see through the windows and doors that it wasn't too busy inside, which was to be expected as it was the early afternoon of a weekday.

As soon as she reached the door, she hurried inside and stopped, taking a deep breath. She took in the bright colors, and whirls, clicks, and flashes of all the products, feeling the tension leave her muscles.

"Anna?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she looked up to see George had appeared from around one of the shelves of products, looking at her in confusion.

"What're you doing here? I thought today was your grandparents' funeral?" he asked, approaching her with a worried expression.

Anna swallowed. "It was-I mean, yeah, it just got over." she stuttered.

George stopped in front of her, looking down at her with a worried, confused expression. "Okay. And not that I'm not thrilled to see you, but why are you here? I would've thought you'd want to stay at home with your family."

Anna looked around, trying to come up with a response. Her eyes caught movement as the door to the backroom swung open. Fred looked out at them and instantly looked worried when he saw her.

"I'm fine." she told him before he could repeat George's question.

"Then why don't I believe you?" Fred retorted, approaching them.

Anna wrapped her arms around her stomach. "I-I-" she stopped, looking around the shop again, letting the warmth and cheerfulness of the room soak into her very bones.

Fred sighed, stepping forward and wrapping an arm around her waist. "You okay to watch the shop for a while, Georgie?"

"Yeah. I'll see you guys later." George agreed easily, walking away to the other end of the shop.

"Fred-" Anna tried to argue.

"Come on." Fred ignored her protest, pulling her toward the backroom. "Head upstairs. I'll follow you up in a moment."

Anna rolled her eyes, giving in and going up the stairs to the flat. She sat on the couch and waited, staring at the empty fireplace.

When Fred entered the flat, he was carrying a cardboard box.

"What's that?" Anna asked curiously as he set it on the coffee table.

"A surprise. Don't look at it yet." Fred ordered. "Now, stand up and move over here, please."

Anna eyed him curiously for a moment before standing up and moving toward the door of the flat. Fred waved his wand, causing the couch and coffee table to move back, leaving a large space in front of the fireplace. He flicked his wand twice more, causing a fire to burst to life in the fireplace, and dozens of pillows to appear in a comfy pile on the floor in front of the fireplace.

"There. Sit." Fred ordered simply. Anna gazed at him for a moment, mildly amused, before sitting on the pile of pillows and reclining comfortably. Fred then lifted the box and carefully dumped the contents onto Anna's lap. She couldn't help laughing as a dozen tiny, baby Pygmy Puffs smaller than a fist rolled onto her lap.

"Seriously?" she giggled, scooping a few up and snuggling them into her face.

"I'm not done yet." Fred told her, grinning at her happier demeanor. "Stay there." he called as he hurried to the kitchen.

"Where, exactly, do you think I'll go?" Anna asked, not planning on going anywhere anytime soon.

Fred didn't respond and didn't return for about ten minutes. When he did, two steaming mugs were floating along behind him. He rounded the couch and sat on the pile of pillows next to Anna, nudging a few stray Puffs over to avoid squishing them. Then he plucked a mug from the air and motioned for Anna to do the same.

Reaching up, Anna smelled the rich, familiar scent before she looked into the mug. She smiled softly, looking over at her fiancé. "Hot chocolate." she murmured.

"It seemed appropriate." Fred answered, shifting his arm to wrap it around her shoulders. Anna leaned into him before taking a sip of her drink.

They sat in the warm, comfy silence for a few minutes, just sipping their drinks and petting the Pygmy Puffs.

"So, why'd you decide to come here, of all places, after your grandparents' funeral?" Fred asked, finally breaking the silence.

Anna took a deep breath through her nose, breathing in the warm, chocolaty scent and letting it fill her lungs.

"It's just…I needed happy." she whispered. "The funeral, the graveyard,…the whole atmosphere everywhere. It's dark, cold, foggy. And I needed to come here. This is one of the only places left in the world that makes me happy. And, in the moment, I just needed to come here."

Fred tightened his hold on her, kissing her forehead.

"The shop in general, or your amazing fiancé?" Fred asked playfully.

Anna lightly bumped her elbow into his ribs, making him chuckle.

"Both." she admitted. "The shop, you, and George. Being here just makes me feel better."

"Happy to hear it. So, was there more information on how…you know, how they were killed?" Fred asked hesitantly.

Anna sighed, the familiar lump forming in her throat.

"Well, there wasn't much evidence. But it was obviously Death Eaters, or Death Eater supporters. Dad thinks that…that they were tortured for a while before they were killed." she muttered, feeling sick.

Fred squeezed her to his side. "I'm sorry, Anna. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's fine." Anna assured him, turning slightly to curl into his side. "I appreciate all this more than you could ever imagine."

XXX

"Anna!" Ginny screamed excitedly, running out the Burrow's front door the moment Anna and her family appeared on the Weasleys' property with Arthur leading them through the wards.

Anna hurried past her parents and Arthur, meeting Ginny halfway up the walkway. The redhead slammed into her, almost carrying her off her feet, and hugged her enthusiastically. Anna squeezed her back just as hard, having missed the youngest Weasley.

"I'm so happy you could come! Writing sucks!" Ginny exclaimed, finally pulling back and bouncing slightly. Unlike last year, Ginny and Anna's letters had been few and far between. They didn't want too many people suspecting their close relationship, or the closeness of their families, anymore than the Death Eaters already did.

"You have to tell me everything about Hogwarts." Anna insisted as the two turned and headed back toward the front door, which Ginny had left open in her haste to get outside.

"It's awful." Ginny groaned. "But, well, it's not completely." she glanced around as they passed the threshold to ensure no one was listening. "Me, Neville, and Luna rebuilt the D.A.." she whispered in Anna's ear.

Anna widened her eyes and smiled slightly. "You did? That's brilliant, Ginny."

"Ginevra Weasley!" Molly snapped, appearing in the doorway to the kitchen. "You can't just leave the front door open! You're letting the cold in."

"But Anna's here!" Ginny argued, grabbing Anna's shoulders and shoving her in front of her to show her mum. "And her family, too, of course, but _Anna's here_!"

Anna laughed while Molly rolled her eyes, unable to hide a smile.

"Hi Molly. Happy Christmas." Anna told her future mother-in-law, stepping forward and giving the warm woman a hug.

"Happy Christmas, dear. Fred and George should be along in a couple hours or less. Of course, why they had to have their shop open on Christmas Eve, I'll never know." she ended in a grumble after pulling away.

"Last minute Christmas shoppers." Anna explained with a smile. With it being Christmas Eve, the twins were, indeed, still working in the shop, but they were closing an hour early. And they wouldn't be open at all on Christmas Day.

Anna took a mug of eggnog Molly offered and curled up on an armchair with Ginny. It was a tight fit, but Anna was fine with that. Molly and Wren worked in the kitchen to make dinner. Arthur and Sirius chatted in the living room while Aslan played with a toy flying car that floated around his head.

"So, catch me up. Exactly how horrible is school?" Anna asked.

Ginny sighed. "Well, me and the others aren't taking the Carrows' crap lying down. We're causing them as much trouble as we can. We got banned from Hogsmeade." Ginny explained casually.

Anna gave her a doubtful look. "I seriously doubt that's the worst they've done to you."

"Oh, of course not. I just don't want to give any gory details. Mum's already half tempted to pull me out of school as it is." Ginny admitted. "Speaking of, Luna got taken off the train on the way home."

"By who?" Anna demanded worriedly.

Ginny met her eyes, worry and fear swirling in the brown eyes she got from her mother. "Death Eaters." she admitted quietly.

Anna felt like a stone dropped in her stomach. "What?" she breathed in horror. Then, a thought occurred to her. "Her dad owns the Quibbler, right? Well, the Quibbler's about the only place people can get honest information and stories supporting Harry. Maybe that's why they took her."

"Probably." Ginny agreed sadly with a nod. "I just hope she's okay."

Anna wrapped her free arm around Ginny's shoulder, and the two girls snuggled close, sharing in their worry.

"So, are Bill and Fleur going to come tomorrow or something?" Anna asked after a few moments.

Ginny shook her head. "Bill said they wanted to spend their first Christmas as a married couple together. And Charlie's not coming, either."

Anna nodded slowly. "I know. He wrote to me a couple days ago, and sent me a present."

The sound of the front door opening interrupted all conversation, and two identical, playful voices called through the house; "Honey, we're home!"

Ginny put her eggnog on the coffee table as she raced through the living room. The twins barely came into the sight of the living room before Ginny threw herself at them, wrapping an arm around each of them. Fred and George playfully staggered back under her weight, but wrapped her in a group hug that held her up off the ground.

Anna smiled warmly at the sight, slowly standing up after placing her cup on the end table by the chair.

After finishing their hugs and greetings, the twins released their sister so she could return to her seat. Anna moved past her and gave George a hug before greeting Fred.

"Hi." she breathed, snuggling into his chest while he wrapped his arms around her.

"Hi. How's your week been?" Fred asked quietly, his voice muffled by her hair as he kissed the top of her head.

Anna sighed. "Gloomy." she admitted. It'd only been a couple weeks since her grandparents were murdered. She didn't cry at the mere thought of them as much anymore, but with it being Christmas, one of the few times a year she used to see them…it was hard for the whole family. Anna suspected that was why Molly invited the Black family to spend Christmas with them at the Burrow.

Fred's arms tightened around her in a brief squeeze before he released her and leaned back enough to look down at her face. He smiled sadly at her, reaching a hand up and brushing his thumb across her cheek. Anna instantly held his palm to her cheek with her own hand, nuzzling her face into the warm touch. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of his warm, familiar scent.

She felt his lips brush her forehead and opened her eyes as Fred pulled away. He pulled his hand from her cheek, holding her hand instead as he lead her into the living room where almost everyone else was gathered. Anna returned to her seat in the armchair with Ginny, and Fred sat on the floor in front of her. While she held her cup of eggnog in one hand, she used her other hand to run her fingers through Fred's short hair.

Anna had suspected this Christmas would be spent feeling sad and guilty, especially for her mum. They'd chosen not to spend last Christmas with Wren's parents, and now they'd never spend Christmas with them again. Anna knew the guilt of that decision would be eating away at her mum for years.

And while Anna was still sad, and would be for a long time, she couldn't help feeling a small warmth in the pit of her stomach that Christmas Eve. Sitting in that comfy armchair, nestled against Ginny's side as they talked about things and drank multiple cups of eggnog. Fred and George were sitting on the floor in front of them, entertaining Aslan with colorful sparks erupting from their wands and flying around the room. Molly and Wren sat by the fire, talking with Arthur and Sirius; all four seeming to at least try to keep up the Christmas spirit.

"Mum?" George called across the room. Anna tensed slightly. His voice sounded tight, as if he were in pain or something. She glanced between him and Fred, but she could only see the backs and tops of their heads.

"What is it, dear?" Molly asked worriedly, turning down the wireless sitting next to her that had been playing Celestina Warbeck.

"My ear's hurting a bit." George told her in a very pitiful voice.

"What do you mean it's hurting?" Molly demanded worriedly, on her feet and across the room in a second. "It's been healed for months! What's the matter?"

"It's that awful Celestina Warbeck, Mum." George whined pitifully. "Please, just put me out of my misery!"

Molly whacked George on the back of the head while several people around the room burst out laughing. Ginny almost spilled her drink from laughing so hard, and Fred offered his twin a high-five. Arthur's face was red as he tried to fight his laughter, while Sirius didn't bother being quiet.

Molly stomped back over to her seat, where Wren was covering her mouth to hide her laughter, but when Molly turned back around, Anna saw that she was trying not to smile, as well.

Leave it to Fred and George to ensure the holidays remained cheerful.

XXX

The following months went much the same way. Most days were gloomy and depressing, and Anna struggled through her work days trying not to break down and helping people where she could, which unfortunately wasn't often. She visited Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes whenever she could, which was every Saturday and Sunday, and at least once or twice during the week. The lively, cheerful environment of the joke shop lifted her spirits in ways nothing else could. Of course, Fred and George might have had something to do with that.

Fred, and sometimes George, did everything they could to cheer Anna up. Fred would frequently cuddle with Anna, drink cocoa, and occasionally dump a pile of Pygmy Puffs on her lap. A couple times, Anna spent the night at the twins' flat, and all three of them would curl up on the couch in front of the fire, because even the twins sometimes needed that reassurance.

Fred went all out on New Years for their third anniversary, and did again on Valentine's Day. Anna appreciated it, and everything Fred and George were doing to keep her spirits up, so whenever she found time, she baked cookies, or made breakfast, and brought those with her on the mornings she worked in the shop with them.

But then March came, and with it, news Anna had been dreading almost as much as Harry being captured.

It was late March, sometime around Easter. Anna, her parents, and Aslan were sitting around the living room, listening to the radio. Sirius had managed to guess the password to find the latest segment of Potterwatch, which was 'Albus'.

The segment was filled with painful news, and a bit of lighthearted humor thanks to Fred and Lee. Of course, Lee started it off with announcing the death of Ted Tonks, Dora's dad who'd been on the run.

Anna almost missed the next couple minutes of Lee's announcements as it hit her. She hadn't been close to Ted, but he was Dora's father, and Andromeda's husband. Dora especially would take this hard, given she was about eight months pregnant. At least she had Remus there to support her.

After the radio was turned off, Anna began getting ready for bed, also helping her mum put Aslan to bed.

It felt like she'd only been asleep for a moment when she woke up. Looking around her bedroom, Anna took in everything to see what might have woken her up. Ariel was perched on her tree in the corner, her eyes glowing in the darkness. The sky outside the window was lightening, showing it was maybe an hour or so before dawn.

Sitting up slowly, Anna glanced toward her bedroom door, which was halfway open. Then, she saw her dad hurry past down the hallway. She straightened in her bed, listening to his footsteps as he hurried down the stairs. Why was he awake at this hour?

Grabbing her wand from the bedside table, Anna got up and hurried down the stairs. She slowed on the last couple steps and peaked around the corner.

Sirius was at the backdoor, his hand on the knob with his wand in his other hand.

"What did you say when I asked you why you love my daughter?" he asked through the closed door. Anna furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Seriously?" Fred's voice called incredulously through the door. "I recited like two paragraphs. Okay-um,…She's been my friend for so long she's like another George, so we know each other better than anyone else. She knows me, I know her. I want to spend the rest of my life making her happy, and making her feel loved and happy. Is that good enough?"

Sirius chuckled quietly before pulling the backdoor open so Fred could step into the house. "I suppose so."

"Fred?" Anna called quietly, stepping onto the main floor.

"Anna." Fred grinned, though it didn't completely reach his eyes. He looked worried and unhappy about something.

"What's wrong?" Anna asked, putting her wand in her waistband and approaching the two men.

"Um, well, I've got some bad news. Well, kinda bad, but it could've been worse." Fred admitted, glancing between Sirius and Anna. "I figured I should tell you guys myself."

"What is it?" Sirius demanded.

"Well, apparently Harry, Ron, and Hermione were captured-no, wait, let me finish-" he added when Sirius and Anna opened their mouths with panicked expressions. "They escaped. They're safe now, with Bill and Fleur. I don't know the details of how they got captured, or what happened to them, all I know if they had been taken to Malfoy Manor, but they escaped and made it to Bill's place. Right now, Bill's at the Burrow helping them pack up."

"Pack up?" Anna repeated in confusion. "What do you mean, 'pack up'?"

Fred smiled sadly at her. "Well, the Death Eaters had been under the impression Ron was sick at home with spattergroit, remember? But since he was captured with the others, they all know it was a lie. The Death Eaters know now that Ron was with Harry Potter the whole time. We've got to go into hiding. That's why I came here. I'll need to leave soon, but I wanted to tell you that myself."

Seeing that Fred was talking mostly to his daughter, Sirius excused himself, "I'll go tell Wren what's happened."

Anna glanced at the floor as her father moved past her and towards the stairs. She looked up only when Fred stepped in front of her, his hands gently rubbing her upper arms. He was smiling sadly down at her.

"I wish I didn't have to go into hiding, love. I wish I didn't have to leave you behind." he told her gently, pulling her into his chest. Anna wrapped her arms around his back while he did the same.

"It could've been worse. Harry and the others got away safely, and Bill was able to contact the rest of your family so you can get out safely." Anna pointed out quietly. Then, her breath caught and she pulled away to look up at him. "Ginny?"

"It's okay. Ginny was home for Easter holidays, so she's going into hiding with us. Just another reason we're lucky, I guess. If she'd been at Hogwarts when this happened…"

Anna hugged him again, snuggling her head into his chest.

"I wish I didn't have to leave you." Fred whispered, burying his face in her hair. He seemed unwilling to let her go anytime soon. "This is so much worse than when I had to leave you at Hogwarts."

"I know." Anna whispered. "But it could be worse, too. I'll be fine, Fred. I'll be safe with my family, and you'll be safe with yours."

Fred nodded against her head, though neither pointed out that it wasn't completely true. No one was truly safe anymore.

The stairs creaked behind them as Sirius returned. Anna pulled back slightly to glance back at her father. He smiled sadly at her before looking at Fred.

"Tell your family that if you ever need anything, that you're free to come to us, as long as you're careful." Sirius told him.

Fred nodded, standing straight even though he still held Anna close to his chest. "Thanks, Sirius. And if any of you need something from us,…well, I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to reveal about our location. But Remus knows how to get in touch with Bill, and Bill knows where we're going."

Sirius nodded in understanding. "We'll keep that in mind. Thank you, and be safe."

Fred nodded before looking back down at Anna. He tightened his hold around her back, pulling her up onto her tiptoes against his chest. He leaned down and pressed a firm kiss to her lips for several seconds. Anna found herself fisting the fabric of his shirt on his chest, not wanting to let him go.

When he pulled away, he leaned to the side to kiss her cheek, his breath warm in her ear.

"I love you so much, Annabelle Esme Black." he whispered in her ear. "I love you, and I will see you soon."

Anna nodded quickly, one hand going up to rest against the side of his neck. "I love you, too, Fred. More than anyone could imagine."

Fred pulled back enough to kiss her forehead before finally, slowly releasing her. He smiled tensely at her before shaking Sirius's hand and walking back out the backdoor. The loud _CRACK_ as he Apparated away left Anna feeling cold.

Sirius wrapped his daughter in a tight hug, kissing the top of her head. "You okay, Belle?"

Anna swallowed thickly. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." she answered, though it wasn't convincing.

Sirius rubbed her back comfortingly. "You should get to bed. You could get in another hour or two before work. Unless you want to call in sick?"

Anna honestly considered it before shaking her head. "No. If I call in sick after everything that happened last night, people will get suspicious, think we were in on it. I'll be fine, Dad."

She leaned up and kissed her dad on the cheek before going back upstairs to her room.

She ended up laying awake in her bed until it was time for her to get ready for work. She just couldn't fall asleep with everything that'd been dumped on her. So she eventually dragged herself out of bed to go down for breakfast and get ready for work.

When she eventually got to work, she was still drinking her second strong cup of tea. She figured she wouldn't look any different from normal, thanks to her metamorphic abilities. But when she arrived on her floor, the first thing her coworker Audrey said was:

"Are you okay? You look exhausted."

Anna smiled tensely. "Just a bit. I didn't sleep well last night." she admitted vaguely as she sat in her cubicle. Audrey stood just in the entryway, looking down at her.

"Have you heard?" she asked quietly after several moments of silence.

Anna tensed, glancing warily up at her. "Heard what?" she asked slowly.

Audrey glanced around briefly. "Well, it hasn't been officially announced to the public, but everyone in the Ministry's talking about it. Apparently, Harry Potter almost got captured last night. Some people were going to go arrest the Weasley family, something about aiding Potter's escape. But most of the Weasley family have vanished. Probably gone into hiding."

Anna nodded slowly, unsure how to react. Should she pretend this was news to her? She'd never told Audrey about her connection to the Weasley family, but Audrey was dating Percy, so maybe she already knew.

Audrey seemed to guess what she was thinking. "I know you're close with the Weasleys." she whispered. "My boyfriend, Percy, told me."

Anna nodded, looking down at her hands, her eyes instinctively landing on her engagement ring. She didn't bother informing her coworker that her and Fred were engaged.

"I'm sure they're all fine." Audrey assured her, assuming Anna was just worried about her friends. Which, of course, was partially true.

"Yeah. I-"

"Black!" a familiar voice called across the room. Anna stood up to see over the walls of her cubicle. Her boss, Fergus Johansson, was heading toward her.

"Mr. Johansson, is something wrong?" Anna asked worriedly. Her boss rarely called on her, especially first thing in the morning.

"Dolores Umbridge on level 1 wants to speak with you." Johansson answered resentfully. "Right now, if you please." he added before turning away. Anna barely caught him muttering to himself, "Don't why that hag can't handle her own department…"

Anna exchanged a confused glance with Audrey.

"What would Umbridge want with you? She's Senior Under-Secretary to the Minister. Surely she's got more important things to worry about."

Anna shrugged. "I could make a guess." she admitted before leaving, not bothering to explain any further. She left the room and headed down the hallway toward the nearest lift. She briefly debated ditching and going home, because she suspected Umbridge planned to interrogate her about Harry and the Weasleys. The thought nearly made her panic. How was she supposed to handle those kinds of questions? She wasn't an expert liar like the twins.

She reached the lift a second before the doors slid open. She froze for a moment when she found herself face-to-face with Percy Weasley. She hesitated for a second before stepping into the lift and turning to face the door as it slid shut. A second later the lift shook and began moving down.

It was tensely silent for a moment before Percy spoke in a quiet voice.

"Good morning, Annabelle."

"Morning, Percy. How've you been?" Anna asked quietly.

"Fine." he answered simply, but Anna guessed he was lying. He was paler than usual and he had purple bags under his eyes. "Have you…do you know if my family is safe?" he finally asked.

Anna swallowed thickly, unsure what to say. "What makes you think I know?" she finally asked guardedly.

"If anyone would know something, it'll be you." he answered as if it was obvious.

Anna sighed quietly. "They were all fine the last time I saw any of them. As far as I know, they all got away safely."

Percy nodded, and Anna practically felt the tension leave his shoulders. "So, where are you off to?" he asked, changing the subject. "Bit early in the day to be going on break."

"I've been summoned by Madam Umbridge." Anna answered dryly.

"What for?" Percy asked in confusion.

"If I had to guess," Anna admitted, "she probably wants to interrogate me on the whereabouts of Harry or your family."

Percy nodded slowly, not seeming surprised. When the lift stopped and the doors slid open, both Anna and Percy stepped out onto level 1.

"Well,…good luck Anna. Have a good day." Percy told her, for once seeming more sincere and less tense.

"Thanks. You have a good day, too." Anna told him with a small smile. With that, the two went their separate ways and Anna went down an isle of doors. She eventually came to a room filled with witches and wizards writing out pamphlets on desks that looked very similar to a classroom. In front of them was a mahogany door, which Anna approached to read the plaques on it.

Dolores Umbridge

Senior Undersecretary to the Minister

Just below that one a second plaque read:

Head of the Muggle-born

Registration Commission

Taking a deep breath, Anna lifted her fist and knocked on the door, ignoring the burn of several stares on her back.

"Come in!" a familiar, girlish voice called form inside.

Anna swallowed before steeling her features and opening the door. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her before looking up. For a brief moment, she was in her seventh year, stepping into Umbridge's office for detention. This office looked exactly the same as her Hogwarts office.

Lace everywhere, dried flowers on every surface, ornamental plates with pictures of kittens on the walls, and a flowered cloth covered the desk. Sitting behind that desk, smiling her sickeningly sweet smile with her hands folded together on the desk, sat the pink devil herself: Dolores Umbridge.

"Hello Ms. Black. It's been a while since I last had you in my office." Umbridge greeted her with a slight giggle that Anna hadn't missed in the slightest.

"Good morning, Ma'am." Anna greeted her politely, staying by the door. "You wanted to see me?"

Umbridge giggled again. "Have a seat, Ms. Black."

Anna slowly crossed the room and sat in the chair in front of the desk, remaining tense and vigilant.

Umbridge poured some tea in a cup, adding several scoops of sugar. "Would you care for some tea?"

"No thank you, Ma'am. I've already had some this morning." Anna declined politely, not trusting any food or drink from the psycho in front of her. It would probably have a truth potion or something much worse in it. Anna needed to keep her wits about her.

"Very well." Umbridge took a sip of her tea, sighing as if it was the best drink in the world. After several seconds of silence, and another sip of tea on Umbridge's part, she finally spoke again. "Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I've called you in here."

"Yes, Ma'am." Anna answered quietly.

"Well, I'm not sure if you heard, but Undesirable Number 1, otherwise known as Harry Potter, was apprehended last night. Of course, he managed to escape. I called you in here, because I remember you and your family are very close to Mr. Potter. In fact, your father, Sirius Black, was named Mr. Potter's Godfather. Is that correct?"

Anna nodded hesitantly. "Yes, that's correct."

"So, it would seem logical that a small group of children, such as Mr. Potter and his friends, would seek the safety of family and friends after such a scary experience as last night. Did he come to your house, perhaps?"

"No, I haven't seen him in ages." Anna answered honestly. She guessed it would be one of the few honest comments she would be making in their conversation. "I didn't even know he'd been captured until this morning." This was also technically true. Fred had told her _very_ early that morning.

"But you must have some idea where Mr. Potter would go." Umbridge urged. "Another friend or family member's? What about Ms. Granger or Mr. Weasley, who is traveling with him? Any idea where any of them might go?"

Anna shook her head. "No idea. Sorry."

She could see the sweet, patient façade slipping from Umbridge's features. "Not even a guess? Nothing at all? Helping or hiding a criminal is a crime, Ms. Black. Surely you don't want to go to Azkaban for someone like Harry Potter."

"I'm not helping or hiding him. I truly have no idea where he is."

Umbridge took a deep breath and another sip of her tea. "Very well. What about the Weasley family? Aurors went to multiple homes of the Weasley family to interrogate them, but it seems they've all gone into hiding. I remember you were even closer to them than you were Potter."

"I wouldn't say I'm that close." Anna lied.

"No? I remember you were nearly attached to those twins by the hip. Even dating one of them. And I've been informed that you've been wearing an engagement ring for a while now. Going to tell me that's not from one of those bloodtraitors?"

Anna instinctively covered her engagement ring with her right hand in her lap, even though Umbridge wasn't even looking at it.

"Just because I know the family, doesn't mean I know where they went." Anna informed her firmly. Then, her mouth got ahead of her brain and she added aggressively, "And even if I did know where they are, I wouldn't tell you a bloody thing."

Umbridge sighed heavily, standing from her seat and moving around her desk. Anna tensed, eyeing her warily, but the squat, pink woman moved past her. Turning around in the seat, she watched as Umbridge seemingly wandered aimlessly around the room for a moment. When she turned again, Anna noticed she was fiddling with her short wand in her fingers, causing Anna to tense slightly.

Reaching subtly toward the waistline of her work skirt, Anna's fingers barely brushed her wand-

" _Expelliarmus_." Umbridge said casually with a flick of her wand. Anna's own wand flew from her skirt and landed in Umbridge's fat hand. Anna instantly felt her blood go cold. Umbridge then turned to her office door. Anna stood up as she watched Umbridge lock the door and put up a silencing charm.

"Why don't you have a seat?" Umbridge suggested. " _Incarcerous_."

With yet another flick of her wand, thick ropes wrapped tightly around Anna, and then forced her back into the seat where more ropes tied her arms to the chair arms. When she was firmly bound in the chair, it flew back and slammed into a wall.

Anna looked around frantically before looking up, her eyes wide with fear as Umbridge stood over her, eyes gleaming maniacally.

"Now," she started, all girlish giggles gone from her voice, "you're going to give me some answers. Or I'll make you."

 **XXX**

 **Dun dun duuun! Another cliff hanger!**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Especially the fluffy parts in the beginning!**

 **Pretty please review and let me know what you all thought!**


	28. Hiding

Annabelle felt her hands shake and gripped the chair arms tightly in her fists. Her eyes were fixed firmly on the woman in front of her. Being shorter than five feet tall, Dolores Umbridge hardly towered over Anna in the chair, but that didn't make her any less terrifying. Her bulging, blue eyes glinted coldly with an insane sparkle, as if she was very much looking forward to making Anna talk in any way she could. Her wide mouth was stretched in an eager, maniacal grin that emphasized the wrinkles on her flabby face. But the most terrifying thing about her in that moment was the incredibly short wand gripped in Umbridge's stubby, ring-adorned fingers. There's nothing more terrifying than being at the mercy of an armed psychopath.

Anna shifted her arms a bit, instinctively wanting to get away from this woman, but the rough ropes chafed against her skin and she knew that she was stuck.

"Now, are you ready to talk, Ms. Black?" Umbridge asked in a cold voice.

Anna swallowed thickly, trying to stop herself from trembling with fear as she glanced at the tip of Umbridge's wand.

"I don't know where any of them are." Anna insisted, her voice shaking like the rest of her.

"Ah, but if you did, you said you wouldn't tell me anyway." Umbridge reminded her sadistically. "So how can I possibly believe you?"

"I swear, I don't know anything!" Anna shouted, hoping against hope that someone would hear her.

"There's no point in shouting, girl. I put up a Silencing Charm. No on will hear you." Umbridge told her, her smirk widening as she stepped even closer. "Now, you're going to give me answers now. Tell me where Harry Potter is."

"No." Anna answered firmly, knowing there was no use in insisting she didn't know. Even though she was telling the truth, Umbridge would never believe her.

"Very well. _Crucio_!"

Searing pain ripped through every cell in Anna's body, causing her to scream louder than she ever had before. Her back arched against the chair and her head flew back, smacking into the brick wall behind her, but she didn't even notice. She'd never felt anything so painful in her entire life. The pain Flint caused her years ago was nothing compared to this.

Then, it stopped.

Anna collapsed against her chair, gasping and trembling as she tried to catch her breath.

"Now, are you going to talk or not?" Umbridge asked casually, as if she hadn't just been torturing the girl.

Anna tried to catch her breath before gasping, "I don't…know… _anything_."

" _Crucio_!"

Anna wasn't sure how long it continued. It could've been days for all she knew, but she doubted Umbridge would've been able to continue that long without a break for herself. There were a couple times where Umbridge stopped long enough to step out of the office, but she kept the door locked and the Silencing Charm up. And she returned both times within a few minutes, much to Anna's disappointment.

"If you would just tell me where Potter or the Weasleys are, you wouldn't be going through this." Umbridge told her after one of the longer episodes. "Just tell me something, and it'll stop."

Anna sat slouched so low in the chair, her bum was on the edge of her seat as she gasped for breath. Her whole body ached and her ears were ringing. At one point she'd bit her lip to hard to quiet her screaming that she swore she bit through it, so blood was dripping down her chin. Part of her just wanted it to end. Part of her was scared that Umbridge would torture her into insanity, or even kill her. But she merely looked Umbridge in the eye, stayed silent for all of three seconds, and said:

"Go to hell."

It got worse after that. She swore Umbridge tortured her for fifteen-twenty minutes at a time before giving her a moment's break and a chance to talk. But Anna never gave in. She wanted to finally be brave. To finally do something for the war. And if enduring this torture without giving Umbridge what she wanted was something she could do, then she wasn't saying a word.

Anna had no idea, and no way of knowing, how long the torture continued. But finally, Umbridge stopped and looked at the clock on the wall above Anna's head.

"Well, it appears to be later than I thought." she said in her normal, girlish voice, as if she were talking about the weather. "I should be getting home. I have an early day tomorrow."

Anna didn't respond. She was once again slouched in the chair, gasping for breath as the pain eased. Her body felt heavy and sore, and she was sure she wouldn't be able to move for a while. She could barely understand what Umbridge was saying.

"Now, I hope you'll be in a much more talkative mood in the morning, Ms. Black." Umbridge told her in that once-again sugary sweet baby voice, as if talking to a child. "Perhaps a night in here will encourage you to be more honest."

With that, Umbridge grabbed her things and left, closing her office door behind her.

Anna sat there, slouched in the chair with the ropes digging into her flesh, as she tried to make the pain ease. Her hands were sore from clenching the arms of the chair. Her chin and neck felt sticky with dried blood, and her bottom lip stung from where she bit through it. Her stomach was hollow since she hadn't eaten since that morning.

After a while, Anna braced her feet against the floor and pushed herself upright in her chair. She swallowed, but her throat was dry and she didn't think she had any saliva left in her mouth. Glancing around, she realized the office was dark, so it was sometime in the evening. When her eyes landed on Umbridge's desk, she realized there was a wand sitting on the flowery table cloth.

Her wand.

Anna licked her lips, wincing at her tender bottom lip. But an idea had popped into her mind.

" _Accio wand._ " Anna croaked. She cleared her throat after the words barely came out. Her throat was sore from screaming so much, and she couldn't wet her throat without any saliva and nothing to drink. " _Accio wand._ " she repeated, this time a bit more clearly and firmly. Still, nothing happened.

Anna took in a shaky breath, fear starting to bubble up in her stomach and making her feel sick. If she couldn't get out of there, she'd be stuck in that chair overnight. And then Umbridge would return the following morning, fresh from a goodnight's sleep, to continue where she left off. And Anna wasn't sure how much more she could take before she broke one way or another.

Growing desperate, she yanked at her arms, causing the chair to rock. " _Relashio!_ " she yelled at the ropes on her arms. Nothing happened. " _Relashio!_ " she yelled with even more conviction. The ropes twitched, but otherwise remained still.

She turned to look at her wand again. " _Accio wand!_ "

The wand twitched, but didn't move any closer.

Anna's head fell back, thumping against the wall. Her eyes closed, causing a tear to fall down her temple into her hair. She didn't know what else to do.

Then, a new sound reached her ears.

Forcing her heavy head upright, Anna held her breath and listened.

Footsteps.

She fixed her eyes on the office door, and they traveled down to the small crack at the bottom of the door. A shadow moved across the sliver of faint light, before pausing in the middle; right in front of the door.

Anna held her breath, unsure if she should scream for help or not. This person could be someone who would help her, or it could be someone who was just checking up on her for Umbridge.

The doorknob jiggled for a moment. Then, the quiet click of a lock echoed in the room. Finally, the door slowly eased open.

Anna didn't realize she was still holding her breath as someone, a familiar someone with red hair and horn-rimmed glasses, peaked his head around the door.

Anna met Percy's blue eyes and felt the breath leave her in a whoosh.

"Percy." she whispered as his eyes widened. Quickly stepping into the office, Percy quietly closed the door and hurried over to her.

"Annabelle, are you okay?" he demanded quietly as he crouched in front of her.

Anna swallowed thickly as she looked down at herself. "I've been better." she admitted in a croak.

Percy glanced back at the door anxiously before pulling out his wand and pointing it at the ropes. " _Relashio_."

The ropes flew from Anna's body and dropped limply to the floor. Anna rubbed one arm with her hand, wincing as she touched the tender red marks from where the rope had dug into her skin.

"Thanks." she whispered.

"We need to get you out of here." Percy whispered hurriedly, standing up straight and gently grabbing her arms to help her stand up. She stumbled, feeling weak, but Percy caught her and helped steady her while she found her footing. "Where's your wand?"

"It's on Umbridge's desk." Anna whispered.

Percy left her to grab the wand, handing it to her when he returned.

"Is there anything else you need to grab? Anything at your desk? We probably shouldn't risk it unless you absolutely need it."

Anna shook her head. "Nothing that important."

Percy nodded once seriously. "Okay. I'm going to put a Disillusionment Charm on you. There shouldn't be very many people around this late, but it's better to be safe. If anyone sees me sneaking you out…"

Percy didn't bother continuing, he just waved his wand and Anna felt the tickle of the Disillusionment Charm concealing her from view.

"You can grab onto my robes or something. Just stay close to me. I'll get you out of here. You can walk, right?"

"Yeah." Anna answered quietly, loosely grabbing the back of Percy's robes in both fists after she put her wand in her waistband.

So, the pair slowly made their way out of Umbridge's office and across the floor of level one toward the nearest lift. They rode it in silence, both tense and waiting in case the next level or corner brought them face-to-face with someone that might cause trouble.

But they miraculously met no problems as they reached the Atrium and headed toward the fireplaces to Floo out of the Ministry.

Percy stopped in front of a fireplace and glanced around, ensuring no one was watching him. Then, he slowly reached back and gripped Anna's work robes in one hand.

"We're going to step into the fire and go to my flat. Hang on as tight as you can, alright?" he whispered.

"Okay." Anna whispered, tightening her grip on his robes.

With that, Percy called out an address, probably for his flat, and lead Anna forward into the fire. They were instantly swept away, and Anna had to close her eyes to keep herself from getting sick.

Finally she was thrown forward and stumbled into someone's back.

"Are you alright?" Percy asked worriedly, turning around and holding her up with his arms.

"Y-yeah. I think so." Anna answered quietly.

Percy lead her to a nice couch, where he helped her sit down before sitting next to her.

"Is there anything you need? Pain potion? Food or water?" Percy asked anxiously.

At the mention of food, Anna's stomach gave a loud grumble. Blushing, she covered her stomach with both hands and glanced sheepishly up at him. "I haven't had anything to eat or drink since this morning before work." she admitted.

"I'll make some sandwiches and tea. Would you like some water while I get that ready?" Percy offered, already standing up and heading toward the kitchen.

"Yes please." Anna answered.

Percy gave her some water and helped her heal her lip while the sandwiches magically made themselves.

Soon, both were sitting on the couch eating and drinking.

"I should contact my parents. Or go home." Anna mumbled with her mouth full.

"You'll need to go into hiding. Umbridge won't just let you get away with this." Percy pointed out. "Why did she do this?"

"She was interrogating me on the whereabouts of Harry and your family." Anna admitted.

"What'd you tell her?" Percy asked worriedly.

"Nothing. I don't know where they are. All I really told her was to go to hell. Probably not my smartest move." Anna admitted with a slight smile.

Percy returned it, though he still looked worried. "So,…Cruciatus Curse?" he guessed.

"Yep. Off and on pretty much since I stepped into her office." Anna answered. "How'd you know…I mean, what made you check in there?"

Percy grimaced slightly. "Well, I never saw you leave her office. And when I got out of work, I waited for Audrey, my girlfriend who you apparently work with. She mentioned being worried about you because you never returned to your cubicle and all your things were still there. So, I came up with an excuse, saying I forgot something and I'd see her tomorrow, and went back to Umbridge's office. Sure enough, there you were, tied to a chair and covered in blood."

Anna bit her recently-healed lip at how pale Percy was, seemingly disturbed by how he'd found her. "I wouldn't say _covered_ in blood…" she tried to feebly reassure him.

Percy smiled shakily at her. "Well, I'm glad I found you."

"Me too." Anna agreed. "I hope you don't get into trouble. I won't say anything to anyone about you helping me. For all Umbridge will know, I managed to escape on my own.

"Well, thank you. And you're free to stay here as long as you need, but I'm sure you'll want to get going. Your family is probably worried about you, and you'll need to figure out where to go to hide."

Anna nodded, swallowing the last bite of her third and final sandwich. "You're right. I should get going. Can I use your Floo?"

"Of course. I'd be careful Apparating for a little while if I were you. You still seem a bit shaky after what that horrid woman put you through." Percy pointed out.

"Good point." Anna agreed as she stood up, swaying slightly as her legs shook. She slowly approached the fireplace in front of the couch, grabbing a handful of Floo powder off the mantle. She paused, turning back to look at Percy, who was watching her worriedly.

"Thank you again. For everything you've done." she told him sincerely. "I don't know if you want me to tell your family about this the next time I see them, but I know they all miss you very much."

Percy swallowed thickly, looking down at his feet for a moment. "Thank you." he finally said in a thick voice. When he looked up at her again his blue eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "Don't tell them. I can tell them another time. After they've forgiven me for how horrible I've been. I don't want my one good deed to influence them."

Anna nodded in understanding. "Okay. Well, thank you again, Percy. And good luck."

With that, Anna threw the Floo powder into the fire, called out the address of her childhood home, and stepped into the flames.

She was instantly swept away and once again had to close her eyes against the nausea. Finally, she was thrown from the network, but this time wasn't able to catch herself. She stumbled out of the fireplace and landed clumsily on her hands and knees.

"Anna!" her mum's voice called loudly before Anna was wrapped in a tight hug. She hugged her mum back tightly before peaking over Wren's shoulder.

She was in her living room, but to her surprise, Remus and Dora were both looking worriedly down at her along with her father.

"Anna, what happened?" Sirius demanded worriedly, approaching his wife and daughter.

"Wait." Remus interrupted, causing everyone to stare at him, but he was staring at Anna. "We need to remember to be cautious. Anna, why is Sirius's nickname Padfoot?"

Anna's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. "Um,…because his animagus is a dog? And dogs have padded feet?"

"You don't sound so sure." Remus pointed out warily.

"No one's ever specified where you all got your nicknames, I just assumed!" Anna argued defensively. "You're a werewolf, which is why you're Moony. Prongs has antlers because he's a stag, and Wormtail is a rat, so his tail looks like a worm. Is that good enough?"

Remus smirked tiredly. "Yes, sorry. Anyway, what happened to you?"

Anna cleared her throat slightly as Sirius helped both her and Wren to their feet. "Uh, well, long story short…Umbridge called me into her office this morning, and when I didn't give her the answers she wanted, she tied me to a chair and locked the room and put up a Silencing Charm so she could spend the whole day torturing me with the Cruciatus Curse. When the work day ended, she decided she would leave me there overnight and see if I'd be more talkative tomorrow morning. I tried to escape on my own, but I couldn't, but then someone came and saved me and here I am."

Everyone gaped at Anna for a few moments.

"I'm going to kill her." Sirius stated seriously, heading for the front door. Remus stopped him by grabbing his arm while not taking his eyes off Anna's face.

"What was she asking you about?" Remus asked Anna.

"Harry and the Weasleys." Anna answered quietly, starting to feel true relief being safe in her home with her family.

"Why would she single out Anna?" Wren asked worriedly, wrapping an arm around Anna's shoulders. "No one asked me anything."

"Maybe it's because she's closer to Harry's age, so they figure Harry might open up to her more. Plus, a lot of people know how close she is with the Weasleys. Maybe they figure Ron would've told one of his siblings, who would've told Anna." Remus guessed.

"Did she give you a Truth Potion at all?" Dora asked worriedly, her hand subconsciously resting on her large baby bump.

"She might've tried." Anna admitted. "She offered me tea when I sat down, but I didn't trust it and declined."

"Good. She probably was trying to feed you a Truth Potion." Sirius agreed.

"Who got you out?" Dora asked curiously.

Anna looked down at her feet. "I'd rather not say. Just to be safe. And he or she asked me not to."

"That's a good point." Remus agreed. "But you'll have to go into hiding, now. When Umbridge returns to find you gone, she'll hunt you down, or more likely have someone else hunt you down."

Anna nodded. "I figured. But where should I go?"

"Shouldn't we all go? Not just Anna?" Wren questioned worriedly.

"If you all go, it'll raise suspicion. You'll just have to make sure you're believable when they come here." Remus explained, glancing at Sirius. "As far as you know, Anna never returned from work tonight and you haven't seen her since this morning at breakfast. You have no idea what's happened. Play the part of worried parents who have no idea what's going on. But also be prepared to flee should that not work."

Sirius and Wren both nodded in agreement.

"Anna, go quick pack a bag. I'll work out a place for you to go." Remus added to Sirius and Wren, "The less you two know about her whereabouts the better for everyone."

Again, Sirius and Wren nodded, Sirius moving to wrap his arms around his wife in comfort.

Anna hurried up the stairs to her bedroom, her legs still a bit shaky. She pulled her old school trunk out from under her bed, plopping it down onto her bed before rushing to her drawers. She wasn't sure what to grab, so she just started grabbing fistfuls of clothes and stuffing them into her trunk.

On her third trip from her drawer to her trunk, her door creaked and she looked up, expecting her mum or dad.

Her eyes traveled down the empty doorway and landed on her little brother. Aslan was watching her with big green eyes that were both curious and scared; his black hair messy.

"Anna, where are you goin'?" he asked in a scared little voice, hugging his favorite blanket to his face.

A lump formed in Anna's throat as she set her latest handful of clothes in her open trunk. Despite knowing she was limited on time, Anna sat slowly on the edge of her bed and held her arms out for her brother. Aslan scurried over to her, letting her pick him up and place him on her lap. She wrapped her arms around him and held him to her chest.

"I have to go away for a little while." Anna admitted quietly, unsure how much she should say. If people came to interrogate her family, Aslan wouldn't know what to say and not say. He may even slip up and say she'd come home for a little bit.

"Why?" Aslan demanded, tears filling his green eyes.

"Grownup stuff." Anna answered vaguely. "But I'll be back before you know it."

"For breakfast?"

Anna smiled sadly. "Probably not for breakfast. I'm not sure when, Aslan."

Aslan pouted, resting his head against her chest and holding his blanket up to his face. After a few moments of the two just sitting there, snuggling, Aslan sat up straight and lifted his blanket up toward Anna's face.

"What?" Anna asked, perplexed.

"Take my blankie with you." Aslan told her.

Anna's eyes widened in disbelief. "But, that's your favorite blanket. Are you sure you want me to take it? I don't know when I'll get it back to you."

"You take it." Aslan insisted, pushing the blanket into her chest. "So you don't forget me, and now you _have_ to come back so you can give it back."

Anna blinked her eyes quickly to ward off the tears burning her eyes. She kissed the top of his head, staying there for a few moments to compose herself where he couldn't see. When she pulled back, she smiled at him and took the blanket. It was a thick, fluffy blue knit blanket Molly had made for him when he was born. He'd used it so much, it was slightly faded and worn, especially on the ends from being dragged around on the floor.

"I'll keep it safe until I see you again." Anna told him, looking him in the eye. "I promise."

Aslan nodded once before wrapping his little arms around her neck. "Love you." he mumbled into her hair.

"Love you, too." Anna whispered, hugging him back.

A quiet knock on the doorway made Anna glance up. Her mum was standing in the doorway watching them with a sad smile. Anna returned it before pulling away from her hug.

"Come on, Aslan. It's past your bedtime." Wren told him, walking towards them.

Aslan nodded tiredly. Anna hugged him one more time, kissing him on the cheek.

"Goodnight, little brother." Anna whispered before lifting him up for her mum.

"Night-night, Anna." Aslan mumbled, already half-asleep in his mother's arms.

Anna watched them leave before standing up and carefully placing the blanket in her trunk. She surveyed it's contents for a moment before deciding to grab a couple more handfuls of clothes and calling it good. With a wave of her wand, she placed a Feather-Light Charm on her trunk before carrying it and Ariel in her cage downstairs. When she got there, Sirius and Remus were both talking quietly together in the living room, and Dora was nowhere to be seen. The two men stopped and looked at her when she entered the room.

"Where are we going?" Anna asked.

"Still not a hundred percent sure." Remus admitted. "But I'm taking you somewhere so we can discuss possibilities with some other people."

"How come other people can know where I'm going, but my parents can't?" Anna asked warily.

"I'll explain when we get there." Remus told her, approaching and taking the trunk from her hand. "Nice Feather-Light Charm." he complimented.

Sirius followed and pulled Anna into a tight, almost-bone-crushing hug. Anna returned it just as tightly, unsure when she'd see him again.

The steps creaked, causing Anna and Sirius to pull away as Wren approached them. Anna hugged her mum tightly, trying not to cry or think about not seeing her again for a long time.

"Be careful." Wren whispered in her ear. "We love you, Annabelle. We'll see you again soon, I know we will."

Anna nodded quickly against her shoulder. "I know. I love you, too, Mum. Be careful while I'm gone."

She pulled away and hugged her dad once more. "I love you, Dad."

"Love you, too, Belle."

Finally, Anna pulled away and followed Remus out the backdoor of the house without a glance back. When they reached the cover of the dark forest behind the house, Remus silently reached over and took Anna's hand tightly. She returned the grip instantly, and seconds later, she felt the familiar sensation of being pulled through a small tube, her body spinning away into nothingness before she reappeared somewhere else.

Before she opened her eyes, the crashing of waves and smell of salty air reached her ears and nose. Blinking her eyes open, Anna shivered as cold air hit her skin. Glancing around, she realized they were on a beach, the rising, nearly-full moon shining over the sea. Anna briefly noted that Remus would be going through the full moon in a week or less before she turned around.

There was a lone cottage sitting on a nearby cliff overlooking the sea. It was small and whitewashed.

Remus started approaching the cottage, his wand in one hand. Anna pulled her own wand out as a precaution and followed him. She had no idea where she was or what to expect. As they approached the front door, Anna saw one of the downstairs lights was on through the window, illuminating a small garden. Remus knocked on the front door just as Anna joined him on the front step. She realized there were shells embedded in the walls as she waited for someone to answer.

A familiar voice called through the door. "Who is it?"

Anna glanced sharply at Remus as he replied, "It is Remus John Lupin and Annabelle Black! I'm a werewolf, married to Nymphadora, and you, Bill; Secret Keeper of Shell Cottage, told me the address and said I could come in an emergency. I just contacted you a bit ago about Anna's situation."

The door was wrenched open and there stood Bill, his scarred face shadowed by the night and his long, red hair hanging past his shoulders, and dressed in his pajamas.

"Come in." he said hurriedly, waving them over the threshold.

"Thank you." Remus told him. Anna echoed it as Bill gave her a brief hug. She hadn't really seen him since the wedding the previous summer. Remus set Anna's trunk by the door, and Anna did the same with Ariel's cage at Bill's insistence before the three headed farther into the house. They passed through the entry hall and turned into the kitchen. Fleur was across the room near a basin under a window that overlooked the ocean. She turned toward them, wearing a silk dressing gown.

"Oh, Anna. We were so worried!" Fleur cried in her French accent, hurrying around the kitchen table to hug Anna tightly.

"Remus stopped by a little bit ago and told us briefly what happened." Bill explained when his wife pulled away from the younger woman. "You don't need medical attention, do you?" he asked, looking her over protectively. Anna noticed his eyes lingered on the collar of her robes, which were stained with blood from when she bit through her lip.

"No, uh, someone helped me with that already." Anna answered. "Thank you, though. So, what's going to happen now?" she asked, glancing between Bill and Remus. She didn't want to assume she'd be staying here, but why else would Remus bring her here?

"Well-"

"Anna?"

Anna whipped around at the familiar voice. Harry stood in the doorway, his glasses askew and black hair sticking out at all angles. He had a wand in one hand, but he hurried forward and hugged her tightly.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, pulling back and looking at her worriedly. He also noticed the blood on her collar. "What happened? Is everything okay? Is everyone-"

"Everyone's fine, Harry." Remus assured him before Anna could answer. "Anna has to go into hiding."

"Why?" Harry demanded just as a couple more shapes appeared in the doorway.

"Umbridge tried to torture information out of me." Anna answered as Harry stepped back. Ron and Hermione entered the room, the curly-haired girl rushing to Anna and hugging her tightly.

Anna gave them a brief explanation of what happened, and she instantly saw the guilty look on Harry's face.

"Don't even go there, Harry. It's not your fault. Umbridge was just desperate for information. I definitely didn't help myself when I got mouthy with her."

"Mouthy how?" Bill asked curiously.

Anna shrugged sheepishly. "I may have told her to go to hell."

The room chuckled briefly.

"You've been hanging out with the twins too much." Bill told her.

"Anyway, did you contact your dad?" Remus asked Bill.

"I did." he answered with a nod. "I told him I'd get back to him with an answer by morning at the latest, but it'll probably be in less than an hour."

"Answer to what?" Harry demanded.

"About whether Anna's going to stay here while she's in hiding, or at Muriel's with the rest of the Weasleys." Remus answered.

" _That's_ where they all are?" Anna asked. "Merlin, I bet the twins are driving Muriel up a wall."

Bill laughed. "You can say that again. So, what do you say? We honestly don't have much room here, only three bedrooms; Muriel has a lot more. That's why most everyone here will go to Muriel's after they've healed up."

"And you'd be with the twins." Ron added with a slight smirk.

Anna blushed. "Am I that obvious?" she asked rhetorically with a slight chuckle before turning to Bill, "Yeah, if it'll be easier for everyone else, I could go to Muriel's, I suppose. She won't mind, will she?"

"Muriel's always grumpy." Bill assured her. "Don't take anything she says personally. And no, she won't mind. She realizes things are serious, and she's not so cruel as to send someone away."

Anna nodded. "Okay, then. When do we leave?" she asked, looking at Remus.

"Bill will be taking you there." Remus told her. "You're safe now. And don't worry about your family. I'll be sure to let you know if anything happens."

Anna nodded, giving Remus a tight hug.

After saying quick goodbyes to everyone, Anna found herself once again following a man who was carrying her trunk, except this man had red hair.

"So, who all is staying at your house right now that may end up at Muriel's later?" Anna asked curiously as Bill lead her down a path toward the dark beach.

"Well, aside from me and Fleur, as well as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, a few people came with Harry and them when they escaped from Malfoy Manor." Bill admitted. "Did you know Dean Thomas or Luna Lovegood from school?"

Anna gaped at him, even though it was hard to see in the dark. "Yeah. I've been worried about Luna since December, when Ginny told me Death Eaters took her off the train."

"Well, don't worry anymore. Her and Dean are safe with us for now. Not sure how long they'll stay, if they choose to leave. They also brought Ollivander and a goblin named Griphook."

Anna nodded slowly. "Wow…And all of you…nine people…have to share three bedrooms? Bet you're glad I chose to go to Muriel's." she joked.

Bill chuckled. "Just a bit, but you would've been welcomed anyway. The hard part would've been the fact that the bedroom Hermione and Luna are sharing is about the size of a cupboard."

Anna grimaced sympathetically. "Ooh. Snug."

"Just a bit." Bill agreed with a grin. "Well, this is far enough." he said as he stopped. He offered Anna his hand, which she grabbed tightly. With another familiar twist, they spun through nothingness and reappeared. Anna stumbled as her feet touched the ground again, but Bill kept a firm grip on her hand until she was steady. When he released her hand, he pulled out his wand and lit the tip so they could see as they approached a nearby house.

Anna looked it up and down. It was a fairly nice house, and at least two stories, three if you count the window near the roof that suggested an attic. And there was a perfectly straight chimney sticking out of the roof. A couple lights on the first floor were on, shining out a couple windows.

They reached the front door, the step illuminated with a small yard light sticking out of the wall by the door. Bill set Anna's trunk on the step next to his feet and knocked on the door. There was a moment of silence before Anna heard muffled footsteps from just behind the door.

"Who is it?" Arthur's guarded voice called through the wood of the door.

"It is I, your eldest son William Arthur Weasley, husband of Fleur and older brother to Charles, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. I've brought Annabelle Black, soon-to-be-Weasley, to stay here with you." Bill called, giving Anna a teasing wink at the end. She rolled her eyes, but couldn't fight the tired grin.

There was the click of a lock before Arthur cracked the door open. He peaked out at them, smiled briefly, and opened the door the rest of the way to let them in.

"I take it you've already checked that she's really Anna?" Arthur questioned his son as they entered the house.

"Remus did, but you can check if you want." Bill told him. "She's already hugged Harry and didn't murder him, so I'm guessing she's not a Death Eater."

"Gee, thanks." Anna joked tiredly.

"Well, I'm not sure what to ask her. Why don't you check it's her, Fred?" Arthur suggested with a slight smile as he looked past Anna's shoulder and farther into the house. Anna spun around in the entrance way and found Fred staring at her from just inside what looked like a living room.

Fred grinned slightly at his dad before meeting Anna's eyes again. "What kinds of flowers do I always get you?" he asked, grin widening.

Anna didn't realize she was smiling widely in return, too. "Oriental lilies and tulips. Preferably not pink." she answered.

Fred laughed shortly. "It's her." he answered, closing the distance between them in two strides before wrapping her up in a hug that nearly lifted her off her feet. Anna gripped the back of his pajama shirt tightly, burying her face in his chest and breathing in his familiar scent. Just the night before, which felt like days ago at least, they'd been saying goodbye to each other as if they may never see each other again. It almost made Anna _glad_ she'd been tortured and had to go into hiding.

"Alright, alright." Bill laughed. "Move it out of the entryway."

Fred laughed, pulling back but not letting Anna go. He kept an arm around her waist as he pulled her further into the house.

"Oh, simply wonderful." a familiar, croaky voice called sarcastically. "Another stray. I'll never get my home to myself again."

Fred's grip tightened around Anna's waist as they both looked to their right. There stood Muriel, dressed in her dressing gown at the foot of a set of stairs. She was scowling at Anna, glancing between her face and Fred's arm around Anna's waist.

"Be nice, Aunt Muriel." Bill told her calmly. "She's been through a lot tonight."

"Oh, Anna!" Molly called loudly, racing down the stairs and nearly shoving Muriel out of the way. She yanked Anna from her son's grasp, making Fred grumble, and hugged her tightly. "Bill told us what happened. Are you alright? Do you need anything? Medical attention? Food? Tea? Oh, yes, you certainly need some tea. And a Calming Drought. Perhaps a Dreamless Sleep Potion?" she rambled.

"Mum!" Fred laughed.

"No, no, Molly, I'm fine." Anna insisted, gently pulling away from the motherly witch. "Really, I'm okay. I've already had some medical attention, and food and water. To be honest, I just want to sleep right now, if that's alright." she admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, of course, dear. You've been through so much. You'll be sharing with Ginny, okay? Here, how about-"

"I can take her, Mum." Fred interrupted. "I'll show her where it is, and carry her trunk up."

"Well,…" Molly seemed hesitant, glancing from Anna to Fred. "Oh, alright, but you're not sleeping in there with her." she told her son sternly. "And don't keep her up talking all night, either, she needs rest."

"Yes, Mum." Fred agreed, discreetly rolling his eyes as he picked up Anna's trunk and owl cage.

Anna moved around Molly and Arthur to give Bill a hug. "Thank you again." she told him.

"No problem, Anna. We're all in this together. You're family, even though you're taking forever to make it official." Bill joked, ruffling her hair with one hand.

Anna stuck her tongue out at him, starting to feel too tired to actually come up with a comeback. She took her owl cage from Fred before taking his other hand and he lead her up the narrow staircase. George was standing at the top of the stairs with a grin.

"Nice of you to join us." he joked, not letting Anna pass without a hug. Anna returned it as tight as she could, but her arms were shaking with fatigue. "Get some sleep, Anna. You're safe here." George assured her, patting her back once before releasing her to his twin. They passed a couple doors, one on either side of the hallway, before Fred quietly opened one door on the right.

It was dark, and there were two beds next to each other. The bed farthest from the door had a lumpy shape with a pool of red hair spilling over the pillow.

"Gin's a heavy sleeper, but best keep quiet." Fred whispered, setting Anna's trunk down by the door and putting the cage next to it. "You can have the other bed. Want me to leave while you get changed, or are you going to sleep in your clothes?" he asked.

Anna yawned, stumbling into Fred's side. He caught her easily with a quiet chuckle. "Right. That answers that." he whispered, easily picking her up bridal style and setting her on the bed. He pulled off her shoes and placed them on the floor by her bed as he sat next to her hip.

Anna blinked her eyes open, staring up at him. "Can you get something from my trunk?" she whispered tiredly.

Fred nodded, already standing up. "What do you need?"

"There should be a blue blanket almost on top of everything." she mumbled.

Fred opened her trunk and fished around a bit before pausing. After a moment, he pulled out the blanket and returned, sitting down and handing it to Anna. Instead of spreading it out over herself, she pulled it up to her face, hugging it to her chest.

"Isn't that Aslan's?" Fred asked gently, rubbing Anna's arm with a hand.

Anna nodded, pressing her face more firmly into it as a few tears leaked from her eyes. She took in a shaky breath, trying to be quiet as she pulled her face away to speak. "He wanted me to have it. So I don't forget him, and I have to come back."

Fred's eyes softened. He slipped his hands under Anna's back and pulled her up, ignoring her protests and cradling her to his chest. He held her there for a little while, silently rocking her in place to sooth her.

"Are you okay?" he whispered after a while. "Bill told us a bit about what happened to you. Do you want to talk about it?"

Anna sniffed, lifting her head to rest her chin on his shoulder. "Not tonight." she whispered. "I've had to go over that a few times already tonight. Tomorrow. It's just…I was scared." she whispered. "I was scared I wouldn't be able to escape. I didn't escape, someone had to save me, but…I was just so scared. That she would hold me captive forever, or even kill me, and no one would know what happened to me. That I would disappear and you never would've known what happened to me."

Fred tightened his grip around her, crushing her to his chest as he turned his head and kissed her firmly on the cheek. "That would never happen, love. I would search for you forever. So would George, your parents, Remus, Tonks,…We would've found you."

"And if I was killed?"

Fred swallowed, burying his face briefly in her shoulder. He lifted his head again and leaned it against hers. "That didn't happen. You're here, safe with us and in my arms. Just where you belong."

Anna smiled softly, tucking her chin into her chest to rest her mouth on his shoulder. "Love you." she mumbled into his pajamas.

"I love you, too." Fred returned, turning his head to kiss her temple three quick times. "And if I ever see that pink hag again,…what she did to you will seem almost like a vacation. She'll wish for death or Azkaban over what I'll do to her."

"My hero." Anna murmured, slowly pulling away and looking up at him. She smiled, but it was an exhausted attempt. Fred smiled softly, reaching up to swipe his knuckles down her cheek.

"Get some sleep, love. And enjoy the peace and quiet, because Mum will dote on you incessantly in the morning." Fred joked, making Anna chuckle quietly.

Fred helped Anna lie down under the blankets, still in her work clothes, and made sure Aslan's blanket was tucked close to her chest. Fred kissed her forehead one last time.

"As much as I wish I could sleep in here with you, Mum would curse my left bum cheek off." Fred told her, once again making her chuckle. "But if you need me, I'm right next door. Door closest to the stairs, okay?"

"Okay." Anna whispered, already half-asleep. "Love you."

Fred kissed her forehead one last time. "Love you, too. Sweet dreams."

By the time Fred closed the door behind him, on his way to the room he was sharing with George, Anna was fast asleep.


	29. Kiss the Bride

Sunlight burning Annabelle's eyes was what finally woke her from her deep slumber. Rolling over with a groan, she blinked her eyes open. Her brows furrowed in confusion, seeing the wall and door of an unfamiliar room. Turning her head, she looked curiously at her surroundings before everything came rushing back to her.

Groaning, she flopped back down on the bed, burying her face in her pillow. Everything that happened yesterday felt like ages ago, and the day felt like it'd lasted a week or more.

Hearing the creak of a door opening, Anna turned her head so her face wasn't covered by her pillow. She looked back towards the door and saw George peaking in at her. He grinned when he saw her.

"Morning, sunshine. Mum's got a warming charm on your plate in the kitchen when you're ready."

Anna smiled. "Thanks George. I'll be down in a little bit."

George winked. "Glad to have you with us, Anna. Me and Fred are in the backroom if you need something to do after breakfast."

Anna nodded and George left her alone, closing the door behind him. She briefly pondered how the last sentence he said sounded so much like him talking about shop stuff.

Pushing herself into a sitting position, Anna got out of bed and slowly went about changing out of her wrinkled work clothes and into casual jeans and a jumper. Throwing her hair up into a ponytail, she made her way down the hall and down the stairs, following the quiet voices and smell of food until she found the kitchen. She just rounded the corner into the room, when Ginny saw her.

"Anna!" Ginny raced across the kitchen and threw herself at Anna, squeezing her tightly. Anna returned the hug just as enthusiastically, nearly crushing Ginny in return.

"Ginevra, be careful!" Molly scolded. "She's been through a lot."

Ginny pulled away, but not because her mum scolded her. "Are you alright? Mum and Dad told me what happened."

"I'm fine." Anna assured her. "Oh, and I don't know if anyone told you, but Luna's safe now. She's with the others at Bill's."

"Oh, thank goodness." Ginny sighed, her shoulders slouching in relief.

"Enough, Ginny. Let Anna eat her breakfast. I'm sure she's starved." Molly told her, moving into the connected dining room and placing a heaping plate of breakfast food and a mug of tea on the large table. Arthur and Muriel were still sitting at the table, Arthur drinking a large mug of tea while reading the _Daily Prophet_. "Have a seat, dear, and eat up." Molly ordered Anna gently.

"Thank you, Molly." Anna smiled, sitting down next to Arthur to eat. He glanced over the paper and smiled at her before going back to his reading.

"Is there anything important in the paper?" Anna asked quietly, her eyes glued to her food.

"Nothing about you or your family, if that's what you're worried about." Arthur told her gently. "And I doubt we'll hear anything about that in the _Daily Prophet_. Umbridge won't want word getting out she was torturing you in her office all day, especially since you escaped."

Anna nodded slowly before taking a big bite of scrambled eggs. She ate in silence as Molly, Arthur, and Muriel talked about random things. When she finished, she picked up her plate and mug and returned to the kitchen.

"Oh, Dear, I can wash those." Molly told her when Anna started washing the dishes by hand in the kitchen sink.

"No, it's fine, Molly. If I'm going to be staying here, I can help out." Anna argued gently.

Molly came up next to her, wrapping an arm around Anna's side. "Sweetie, you are an angel." she told her warmly, making Anna blush and smile.

"If only she could rub some of that responsibility off on those twins of yours." Muriel commented.

"Fred and George are working hard on their business." Molly pointed out mildly. "And with the money they're making, they're helping us pay for food and things while we're here. You should be grateful you don't have to pay for food for all of us. They're the only ones making money at the moment."

"Well, tell them to clean up after themselves a bit more." Muriel complained.

"Where's the backroom?" Anna asked Molly after she finished washing the dishes, drying her hands on a dishrag. "George said him and Fred would be in there."

"I can show you." Ginny answered, grabbing Anna's hand and dragging her from the room. They passed through the living room toward a pair of glass double doors. Ginny turned the ornate door handles and pushed the doors open, stepping out into a back room.

The room's walls were made almost completely of windows, letting the sunshine into the room. One of the windows was open, and a few owls were perched there, as if waiting for something to deliver. There was another door across the room that lead out onto a small deck, which lead out into a backyard and garden. There was a couch pushed against the wall, and a couple tables that looked like they didn't belong were pushed against the far wall, atop which sat a couple cauldrons which the twins were seated in front of, and a pile of boxes, probably containing products, sat nearby. Then, something familiar, pink, purple, and fuzzy caught Anna's eyes.

"You brought the Pygmy Puffs?!" she practically squealed, hurrying across the room to the small pen of Pygmy Puffs.

Fred and George spun around in surprise at the intrusion, but then grinned as they saw Anna practically jump into the pen so she could sit among the different sized Pygmy Puffs.

"Of course we brought the Pygmy Puffs." George grinned. "We knew you'd kill us if we left them to die."

Anna narrowed her eyes at him, already cuddling two Puffs to her chest. "Shut up."

Fred laughed, leaning back in his chair and looking over at her. "How was breakfast?"

"Delicious, like your mother's cooking always is." Anna answered with a smile.

"Was Muriel on her best behavior?" George asked knowingly.

Anna grimaced slightly. "I mean, she wasn't rude…" The twins gave her a doubtful look. "She might have mentioned you two needing to be more responsible."

Both twins rolled their eyes simultaneously. "Of course she did." they both agreed sarcastically.

"Don't take it personally." Anna told them. "She seems to find fault with everyone."

"Oh, we know." Fred and George both agreed.

"We just learn to tune her out." George added on his own, turning back to his cauldron.

"So, she didn't say anything mean to you?" Fred checked, more seriously than before.

"Not a thing." Anna assured him firmly. "But thank you for checking."

"Hey, Anna, who saved you?" Ginny asked suddenly, making Anna look at her in confusion. "From Umbridge's office. Dad said you mentioned someone had saved you. Was it someone we know?"

Anna looked down, silently petting the Pygmy Puff she was currently holding. Her silence peaked everyone's interest, causing Fred and George to both turn their attention back to her.

"Anna, who was it?" Fred demanded.

"It's no one." Anna answered.

"Liar." George answered instantly.

"Okay, yes, it is someone, but he wants to keep his identity a secret. Just to be safe." Anna explained.

"It's not like we'd throw the bloke under the bus." George said in confusion. "He saved you, that's means he's on our side. We wouldn't betray him."

"I know that." Anna assured him, glancing up between the three Weasley siblings. "When the time is right, he'll tell you himself. But for right now, it's better that no one knows."

"Are you the only one who knows?" Fred asked. "You haven't told anyone?"

Anna nodded. "Just me and him know."

"It's not someone completely ridiculous, right?" George checked. "Like a Death Eater? Yaxley or Malfoy or-"

"No!" Anna laughed. "Of course not."

"Maybe one of Dad's coworkers?" Fred guessed. "Perkins?"

"Can we drop it?" Anna asked tiredly, looking particularly at Fred. "You don't need to know. Not right now. You'll find out later, just please, drop it."

Fred stared at her, while George and Ginny glanced between the couple, leaving it up to Fred.

"I'll find out someday?" Fred checked.

"Yes." Anna agreed.

Fred sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll drop it. On one condition."

Anna eyed him warily, noting George was smirking into his cauldron. "What is it?"

Fred smirked. "Come sit with me." he ordered, patting his leg. Anna blushed, trying and failing to smother a smile. Shaking her head in amusement, Anna placed the Puffs back on the ground, stood up, climbed over the small pen, and crossed the room to sit carefully on Fred's lap. Fred wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her close, kissing her cheek before turning to his cauldron to continue working.

XXX

Anna spent her first few days at Muriel's helping out wherever she could. She mostly spent her time helping the twins make their products to fill owl orders in the house's backroom. She also made sure to regularly clean up the owl droppings that ended up on the backroom floor and on the deck just outside, partially to keep Muriel happy. Well, as happy as she could be. When Anna wasn't helping the twins, she was helping Molly and Muriel around the house; doing laundry, dishes, and cleaning around the house.

Bill hadn't been kidding when he said Muriel's house was bigger than his. The main floor had a sitting room with a fireplace, a kitchen, a dining room with a large dinner table, and the backroom that lead out to the deck and back garden. The second floor had five bedrooms and two bathrooms. Finally, there was a set of stairs that lead up to the attic.

With the only things to do at Muriel's involving making joke products and cleaning, it was a little boring at times. Fred and George tried to keep everyone entertained, and it's hard being bored around them, but it was just a lot of time with little to do. Anna almost thought she was doing Molly a hindrance in helping around the house, because Molly was always trying to keep busy. Plus, with so many people stuck in a relatively small space, a couple people were going stir crazy. With lots of time to think and let her mind wander, ideas started popping up in Anna's mind.

On the fourth morning of Anna's stay at Muriel's, Anna found herself standing in the doorway to the backroom, her shoulder leaning against the wood of the doorway. She was watching Fred make a batch of what looked like Fever Fudge, her head tilted so it rested on the wood.

Fred finally glanced up and looked at her, a curious smile on his face. "I know I'm attractive, love, but do you have to stand there staring for twenty minutes?"

Anna laughed, looking down in embarrassment. Smiling, she crossed the room and sat on the edge of the table so that her and Fred were facing each other.

"It was more like ten minutes." she corrected him. "I'm not that creepy."

"Sure you're not." Fred agreed sarcastically, laughing when she smacked his shoulder. He leaned back in his chair, watching her with a curious expression. "What's wrong?" he asked after a few moments.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" Anna asked quietly, leaning her hands on the edge of the table.

Fred tilted his head as he studied her. "You were standing in the doorway staring at me for ten minutes. That means you were thinking about something. So, what's on your mind?"

Anna sighed, looking down at her lap. "Well,…I've been thinking a lot the past few days."

"Uh oh." Fred joked. Anna narrowed her eyes at him, but he just smiled and grabbed her hand, gently tugging until she slid off the table and into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her to keep her close, Fred kissed her firmly on the cheek before pulling away and looking at her. "What've you been thinking about?"

Anna looked down, her eyes fixing on his collar in the hopes it would be easier if she didn't look at his face or eyes.

"I want to get married."

There was silence for several moments, and Anna was afraid to look up at his face.

"Well, I already knew that." Fred answered slowly after a while. "But I get the feeling this is a little more complicated than just wanting to get married."

"I want to get married," Anna repeated, finally looking up and meeting his curious brown eyes. "like, now."

Fred's eyes widened and his brows rose in surprise.

"What?" Fred laughed slightly in his surprise, still staring at her in amazement.

Anna swallowed thickly, looking down, but Fred's hand came up under her chin. He pushed her face up to meet his eyes again.

"Anna, what's going on?" he asked gently. "What brought this up?"

"A couple things." Anna admitted with a shrug. "For one,…I know I shouldn't be thinking like this, but so many people have died,"

"Anna-"

"Please, just let me talk." Anna begged. Fred sighed, but nodded and let her continue. "You have to admit, by the time this war ends, there's always a chance both of us won't make it. I'm not being pessimistic, I just…No matter what happens, I want to come out of this war as Annabelle Weasley."

Fred stared at her curiously, bringing his hand up to brush her dark brown hair from her face, leaving his hand resting against her cheek. "You know that no matter what your name is, you'll always be part of my family. Even if I die, you'll be family. You and George would have each other's backs. Why does your name matter so much?"

Anna thought about it. "I'm not sure. I just…I want to be Annabelle Weasley, no matter what. And…"

Fred tilted his head when she once again looked down. "And what?" he asked gently.

Anna peaked up at him from under her eyelashes. "I'm ready." she whispered.

Fred stared at her for several moments, unsure if she meant what he thought she meant.

"Ready for…?"

Anna rolled her eyes, her cheeks turning a light pink. "You know what I'm talking about."

"You're sure?" Fred checked. "I mean, even if we get married, and you're still not ready, we don't have to-"

"I at least want to try." Anna reiterated. "When Umbridge had me…when she was torturing me, I just remember thinking that the pain Flint caused was _nothing_ compared to what Umbridge was putting me through. And that made me realize that you could never hurt me like that. I was always scared that…that having sex with anyone would be painful. Because of Flint…I just always had this fear that it would hurt, even if it was with you. But…you could never cause me nearly as much pain as Umbridge did."

Fred's eyes had softened during her little speech, and when she was finished he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Of course not. I would never hurt you."

"I always knew that." Anna assured him, wrapping her arms around him and nestling her face into his neck. "I always trusted you. I was just scared. And…I don't think I'm that scared anymore. At least, not of that. I want to at least try, Fred. Please?"

Fred sighed deeply, closing his eyes and burying his face briefly in her neck. Then, he leaned back and gently pushed her back enough to look into her eyes.

"Are you sure you want to get married now? We're in hiding; almost everyone we care about is in hiding or unable to be here. Almost every person we wanted to be at our wedding wouldn't be able to be there. Are you sure you're okay with that?"

Anna took a deep breath. "George and Ginny will be here, and that's who we mentioned for our best man and maid of honor. And your parents will be here. Maybe, if you're okay with it, after the war's over and everything's safe, maybe we can have a kind of reception or something for everyone else, but…I just want to be your wife, Fred."

Fred smiled, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. He leaned back a moment later to speak.

"Okay, let me go talk to my dad. See what I can find out about how that works." Fred told her, easily lifting her off his lap and setting her back in his chair after he stood up. Leaning over her with his hand braced on the table, he kissed her firmly on the lips until he felt her smile. When he pulled away an inch, he winked at her. "I'll be back in a little bit, okay?"

"Okay." Anna agreed with a smile.

"And for the record," he whispered gently, "I want to be your husband just as much."

Anna's smile widened, and Fred left her in the backroom feeling giddy. While she waited for him to return, she went about the backroom being productive; feeding the Pygmy Puffs, making several different products, and regularly cleaning up owl poop. Ginny and George joined her a little bit after Fred left the room, both seemingly unaware of the conversation their brother was having with their dad.

Anna had just tied a small package of fireworks to a Tawny Owl to deliver when Fred came up behind her.

"Hey, come out here with me." he told her quietly, touching her back before opening the double glass doors that lead out onto the back deck. Anna looked at him curiously as she did as he said, but his small smile didn't really give anything away. She could feel George and Ginny watching them, but Fred offered no explanation as he shut the doors behind them. Fred crossed the small, wooden deck and leaned forward, his hands braced on the deck's railing. Anna followed and leaned against the railing next to him.

"So, Dad's sworn not to tell Mum or anyone what we talked about. That's our job." was the first thing out of Fred's mouth.

Anna nodded, glancing up at him. "But we should probably bring it up soon, or he may blurt it out accidentally."

"Exactly." Fred grinned, looking down at her. "Anyway," he turned, leaning his hip against the railing with his arms crossed casually, "he explained a few things to me. First of all, in the wizarding world, there's two parts to marriage: Magical and Legal. The magical part is easy, just about anyone could marry you magically, as long as they know the spell. It's a sort of binding spell that's performed at weddings."

Anna nodded, remembering at Bill and Fleur's wedding, the man who married them had waved his wand in some shape over their linked hands.

"The legal part is where it gets tricky." Fred admitted. "Just like in the Muggle world, you have to sign a marriage license, which is then processed in the Ministry so that you're legally listed as husband and wife."

"But since we're in hiding, we can't exactly do that." Anna guessed.

"Exactly." Fred agreed with a small smile.

"So, we can't do it?" Anna guessed quietly, looking down at her feet.

Fred was silent for several seconds before his knuckle pushed her chin up so she could meet his eyes.

"Dad said the magical part is easy. He could marry us right now, if we wanted. If you want,…we could have a small sort of wedding here, and Dad could marry us magically. And then, like you mentioned, when the war is over and everything's safe, we could have, maybe not a second wedding, but we could do something like that for everyone else, and sign the proper papers so we're legally married. Would you want to do something like that?"

Anna chewed her lip thoughtfully, her eyes fixed on his brown ones. "Is that what _you_ want?" she asked instead.

Fred stared at her silently, and Anna couldn't quite read his expression. "I want to marry you." he finally said simply. "And I'm not opposed to having a party to celebrate it with all our family and friends later on." he added with a grin, which was contagious and caused Anna to return it. "So, do you want to do this? You want to get married, here and now, with only my parents, George, Ginny, and, ugh, _Muriel_?" he asked jokingly.

Anna laughed, holding his hand in hers. "I can think of nothing better."

A loud, yet muffled, squeal made them snap their heads back toward the house. Visible through the glass double doors, they could see George and Ginny, the latter being the one that squealed, crouching by the doors with Extendable Ears. They both beamed, not seeming to care they got caught eavesdropping.

Fred and Anna laughed, shaking their heads at the pair. "We should've expected that, huh?" Anna asked him teasingly.

"Obviously."

XXX

Anna glanced over her shoulder into the mirror behind her to check her hair.

"Does it look okay?" Ginny asked with a smile.

Anna grinned. "I love it! Thanks, Gin."

Anna and Ginny were in the bedroom they shared at Muriel's, both dressed in simple dresses. Ginny's was a light blue, thanks to a simple transfiguration spell. Anna was wearing the same dress she wore to Bill and Fleur's wedding, which she happened to pack by accident. It was a simple, sleeveless dress that went down to her knees, and there was a strap going around her neck to keep it up. The only difference was that it was originally light blue, but Anna had transfigured it to be white. She'd also transfigured a pair of her sneakers into simple white, three inch wedge heels.

Anna had changed the color of her hair slightly; it was still dark brown, but there was now a natural-looking red tint in it, symbolizing her becoming a Weasley. She'd curled it into very loose curls, and Ginny helped her pin the front sections behind her head.

A knock on the door interrupted Anna and Ginny getting ready.

"Special delivery!" a familiar voice called through the door. Anna smothered a grin while Ginny narrowed her eyes and approached the door.

"This better not be Fred trying to get a sneak peak of the bride!" Ginny called through the door.

"My own little sister can't tell me and my twin apart?" he mocked despairingly.

Ginny glanced over at Anna, who nodded. "It's George. You can let him in."

Ginny rolled her eyes, but opened the door just enough to let George slip in. Anna fought laughter when she saw Ginny make a point to check that this twin was missing an ear.

"Well, don't you look lovely." George told Anna, looking her over with a grin. "Freddie's going to have to pick his jaw up off the ground."

Anna blushed. "Oh, shut up."

"So, what's this special delivery?" Ginny asked curiously.

George grinned between them, and Anna just noticed he had both hands behind his back.

"It became apparent to my twin that someone forgot that flowers are necessary in a wedding." George told them. "So, he took it upon himself to conjure up a beautiful bouquet of flowers for his bride. Oh, and for the bridesmaid." he added casually, making Ginny stick her tongue out at him.

Anna fought a smile. "Okay. Let's see it."

With a flourish, George pulled two bouquets out from behind his back, one much bigger than the other. He handed the bigger one to Anna, and she blinked rapidly to keep from tearing up.

Oriental lilies and tulips, in shades of blue and white.

Smiling softly, she took the flowers and held them up to her face, taking a deep breath through her nose to breathe in the sweet smell. Peaking up at George, she smiled.

"Tell him I said thank you." she told him quietly.

George grinned. "Will do." Leaning down, he pulled her into a tight hug. Whispering into her ear, he added, "See you at the end of the isle, future wife-in-law."

Anna hit him in the stomach while he laughed, pulling away to wink at her. "Shut up, don't say stuff like that!" Anna exclaimed, laughing at him.

"Can't make any promises. See you in a little bit. You know, assuming you don't pull a runner." George grinned, hurrying out of the room before Anna could cause him bodily harm.

Huffing, Anna shook her head, but she couldn't help smiling. She couldn't wait to marry into this family.

Anna and Ginny waited a few more minutes before going downstairs. Molly was waiting for them in the living room, and when she saw them, she nearly burst into tears.

"Mum!" Ginny complained. "You're going to make Anna cry!"

"I'm sorry!" Molly blubbered, flapping her hands near her face to ward off tears. "You just look so beautiful! Oh, you're already a daughter to me! I can't believe this is finally happening!"

Anna blushed, biting her lip to try not to cry.

"Mum!" Ginny exclaimed. "You can't make the bride cry! She'll ruin her makeup!" That wasn't completely true. Anna wasn't a fan of makeup, and Ginny said Fred loved her natural, anyway, so they hadn't put much makeup on apart from some eyeliner to make her gray eyes stand out.

"Oh, of course! I'm sorry!" Molly took a deep breath to pull herself together. "Well, everyone's ready outside. I'll go out and tell them you're ready, and you two come out in a little bit."

Anna and Ginny both nodded, and Molly hurried through the backroom and out onto the deck before hurrying into the backyard.

"Ready to be a Weasley?" Ginny asked teasingly.

Anna took a deep breath, smiling. "You have no idea."

Ginny lead the way through the backroom. Anna waited in the backroom while Ginny stepped onto the deck. Music began playing, and Ginny took her cue to begin walking down the deck steps, crossing the small garden to the simple wooden arch Arthur had made with magic. Anna waited until Ginny had reached the arch, standing near her father, before Anna followed her out.

Taking a deep breath, Anna stepped out of the open back door. As she slowly crossed the deck, holding her bouquet in front of her chest, she let her eyes scan the simple set up.

There were two lawn chairs on the lawn near some flower bushes, which Muriel and Molly were seated in. Arthur was standing under the simple archway. Fred and George were standing to Arthur's left, both dressed in simple blue button-down shirts, though Fred was wearing a dark gray vest over his. Ginny was standing to Arthur's right, leaving a space for Anna when she got there.

Anna looked away to watch her feet as she stepped down the deck's steps. When her feet were on the grass, she looked back up and her eyes instinctively met Fred's. When they connected, Fred's smile widened, his lips parted in awe as he watched her. Anna couldn't fight her own smile, feeling her face heat up. She blushed even more when George bumped his elbow to Fred's, smirking knowingly between them.

Deciding it would be best to focus on the music that she was supposed to be walking in time to, Anna looked straight ahead. She returned Arthur's smile and only looked at Fred again when she was standing in front of him.

Handing her bouquet to Ginny, Anna turned to face her fiancé, returning his always-contagious smile as he took both of her hands in his.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Arthur started, holding an open book in his hands. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls, Fredrick and Annabelle. They've both come a long way, and have proven their love for each other time and time again."

Fred gently squeezed Anna's hands in his, making her smile widen at him.

"They went from being best friends to true loves, something most people only dream of. And even though they can't legally be married due to the war waging around us, we are gathered here to witness their show of love and devotion as they pledge their vows to be together for life.

"Do you, Fredrick Gideon Weasley, take Annabelle Esme Black, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for rich or poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do you part?"

Fred's smile was still on his face, but his brown eyes were almost serious as they stared determinedly into Anna's. "I solemnly swear."

Anna smothered a giggle, her eyes burning with unshed tears. George was laughing silently behind his twin, his shoulders trembling. Only the three of them could truly understand the meaning of those words from the Marauders' Map.

Anna smiled, blinking away the burning of tears in her eyes.

"And do you, Annabelle Esme Black, take Fredrick Gideon Weasley, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for rich or poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do you part?" Arthur repeated the question for Anna.

Anna swallowed thickly before answering honestly, "I solemnly swear."

By now, Molly was practically sobbing a few feet away in her chair.

"The rings?" Arthur urged quietly.

Fred turned back to George, who started patting his pockets frantically. Anna would've been worried if she didn't know him so well. She eyed him knowingly and his worried eyes met hers. He smirked, dropping his façade before pulling a ring from his pants pocket and passing it to his twin with a wink. Fred shook his head at him, laughing quietly before turning back to his soon-to-be-wife.

"With this ring, I vow to love, protect, and cherish you for the rest of our lives, just as I have done since we met when we were eleven. I vow to give you all that I am, 'til death do us part." Fred said, sliding a simple rose gold wedding ring onto Anna's left ring finger. He then slid her infinity band engagement ring on next to it.

Anna smiled up at him before turning to Ginny, who was already holding out a ring. This one was a bit thicker and bigger, meant for Fred's finger. Anna took Fred's hand in hers, taking a deep breath before reciting her own vows.

"With this ring, I vow to love, support and cherish you for the rest of our lives, just as I've tried to do since our first year of school. I vow to give you all that I am, 'til death do us part." she vowed, sliding the ring onto Fred's left ring finger. When it was in it's place, Fred gripped both her hands in both of his, and they met eyes again.

"Then, by the power given to me through the magic in my blood, I declare you bonded for life." Arthur declared, waving his wand over their clasped hands, causing sparks to appear and float over their hands. Their rings glowed briefly before everything settled. "Fred, you may now kiss the bride."

Fred grinned widely as he slipped one arm around Anna's waist. He yanked her forward, his other hand coming up to cradle her jaw as he kissed her gently yet passionately on the lips. His new wedding ring was cool against her skin.

Anna giggled against his lips, feeling warm and giddy as she brought one hand up to his cheek and the other around the back of his neck.

"Alright, save it for tonight." George joked, swatting his twin's shoulder.

Anna blushed and pulled away, licking her lips awkwardly as she became aware of Molly, Ginny, and Arthur clapping, cheering, laughing, and-in Molly's case-crying. Even Muriel was clapping, though she remained seated and was much more reserved with her usual scowl in place. Anna couldn't bring herself to care.

"I present Mr. and Mrs. Fredrick Weasley!" Arthur declared joyously.

George whooped loudly and Ginny cheered even louder. A blush permanently stained Anna's cheeks, but it was only partially from embarrassment. It was mostly joy; joy that she was joining this family, and that they were happy for her. Fred held her close to his side with an arm around her waist, soaking up the attention as he repeatedly kissed her cheek and head.

Finally, they brought the celebrations into Muriel's house, where Molly had an enormous feast waiting for them in the kitchen. They didn't sit around the dining room table. It was more of a party than a dinner, as everyone moved around the room, talking and celebrating and laughing. It was the first time in a long time, thanks to the war, that they had something to celebrate. Of course, Anna wished things had been different; wished her parents, family, and many others could've been there, but hopefully they had time for that in the future.

As the party was winding down, the sun was almost completely set; the sky above the distant trees a pinkish purple that faded into a dark navy with the first few scattered stars appearing. Anna was talking and laughing with Ginny when Fred walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"Hey, you ready to go?" he asked quietly, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Anna turned to look at him in confusion. "Go where?" she asked. They couldn't go anywhere. They were in hiding. Going anywhere would put themselves and others in danger. What was he on about?

Fred smirked slightly. He leaned a bit closer to whisper in her ear, "Did you really think we were going to consummate our marriage in my great aunt's house, with my family in every surrounding room?"

Anna blushed almost purple, ducking her eyes to avoid looking at Ginny, even though her new sister-in-law couldn't have possibly heard Fred.

"Um, well, no." she stuttered quietly. "But, where-?"

"You'll see." Fred told her, pulling away and taking one of her hands in his. He met his dad's eye from across the room. Arthur nodded once.

"Come on." Fred gave Anna's hand a tug toward the backroom. As they neared the door, George met them and gave Anna a quick hug.

"Have fun, kids." he joked, his eyes glittering playfully as he glanced between them. Anna blushed while Fred swatted his twin upside the head.

"Git. Leave my wife alone." Fred told him, shaking his head in amusement.

George winked at Anna. "See you tomorrow. Maybe. 'Course, I wouldn't be surprised if it's a couple days."

Fred went to smack his brother again, but George ducked out of the way, laughing. Instead of chasing his twin down, Fred chuckled as he pulled Anna through the backroom, across the deck, and into the garden. They stayed well within the protective enchantments around the property, but near the middle of the garden, near a large oak tree in the middle of the yard, was a small tent.

"Is that-?" Anna trailed off.

"Your parents' tent?" Fred finished. "Yep. They lent it to Dad a while back just in case, since Hermione took ours when her and the boys went on their little adventure."

Her parents tent was one of the two tents that the group had used when they went to the Quidditch World Cup a few years ago.

Fred held open the flap and Anna ducked into the small tent, straightening up and staring around in awe once inside. Even though she'd spent the night in this tent at the Quidditch World Cup, she was still amazed how a tent so small on the outside could be so much bigger on the inside.

It wasn't as big as the other tent they'd had at the Cup. It looked like a small, one bedroom flat with a small kitchen and a bathroom hiding behind a door-like flap. The couch that signified the living room faced the kitchen appliances so closely, the living room and kitchen may as well have been the same room.

Fred, who'd entered he tent behind her, wrapped his arms around her stomach and held her back to his chest. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked gently, his voice quiet as he lowered his head near her ear.

Reminded of what tonight was, what she claimed she wanted, Anna turned around and looked up at him, her arms slipping under his arms and around his back. They both searched each other's eyes for a few moments. Finally, Anna pushed up onto her tiptoes and kissed him-her husband. He returned the kiss gently, lifting one hand to gently brush his thumb over her cheek.

When she pulled away, it was only a few inches as she continued to stare up into his brown eyes.

"Yes."

The corner of Fred's lips twitched into a soft smile. He kissed her softly once more before suddenly, Anna's feet were swept out from under her. Gasping, Anna's arms went around his neck, realizing she was now in his arms bridal style. Fred grinned at her as he carried her toward one of the flaps that hid another room from view. When they entered this room, it was a small bedroom with a queen size bed.

Fred approached the bed and gently laid Anna onto the soft mattress. He leaned down toward her, but didn't climb onto the bed. His fists pressed into the mattress on either side of her, his feet remaining on the floor. Anna forced herself to take deep breaths as they stared at each other, their faces inches apart.

Finally, Fred leaned down and kissed her. "I'll take care of you." he promised in a warm breath against her lips.

Anna smiled softly, lifting her arms to thread her fingers through his soft hair, pulling him down for another kiss. "I know." Her hands slid down his neck and chest to the gray vest he was wearing over his button-down. Her fingers easily found the buttons and started undoing them. "I love you." she whispered as she finished.

Fred leaned back to slip the vest off and toss it carelessly aside. He leaned back down and his hands went to the strap around her neck that was holding her dress up while she began unbuttoning his button-down shirt. He paused with his fingers lightly brushing her neck, his eyes meeting hers.

The look in his eyes; the warmth, love, the fact that he was making sure this was okay, chased away any remaining nerves Anna might have had.

Nodding her consent, Anna lifted her head a bit to allow the strap to be slipped over her head. One of Fred's hand braced himself near her head while his other hand slid under her head, pulling her up a bit for a kiss.

"I love you."

XXX

Something tickling her neck woke Anna sometime later. Blinking her eyes open, she found herself staring at a tan flap of fabric and a wall made of the same material. Warm breath was making her hair tickle her neck, which was what woke her up, but that wasn't everything. Cool air from outside and the inside of the tent was tickling her arm and chest, a warm weight overtop of the blanket was draped over her waist, and warm skin was pressed against her back.

Glancing down, Anna moved her hand to take Fred's, carefully lifting it up to look at it. Lacing their fingers together, her eyes easily found the rose gold ring on his third finger. Smiling softly, Anna lifted their hands so she could kiss the back of his. Right as her lips brushed the skin of his hand, the bed shifted and the sheets rustled behind her. Fred groaned quietly, hinting he was waking up.

Smiling a bit wider, Anna carefully rolled over under his arm, wiggling a bit until she was on her other side, facing him. His red hair was sticking out in all directions, and Anna turned light pink as she thought of how many times she'd pulled and ran her hands through his hair the night before.

Fred groaned again, his arm tightening around Anna's waist and pulling her closer to his front. Biting her lip, Anna leaned forward until her nose brushed his. Pulling away again, she looked down and let her fingers lightly brush his neck, over his collarbone, and down his freckled chest.

"Didn't get enough last night?" Fred's sleep-roughened voice asked, his warm breath tickling her hairline. Anna smiled and peaked up at him. He smiled warmly at her, leaning forward to kiss her softly on the lips.

When he pulled away, he still kept her close with his arm wrapped over her waist and pressed his forehead to hers.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his tone serious now.

"Hmm, a tiny bit sore, but mostly warm and exceedingly happy." she answered honestly, smiling playfully up at him. Fred grinned in response, chuckling lightly at her response.

"Good." he answered quietly. He shifted his arm off her, moving it up to rest his palm against her face and brushing her hair back from her cheek. "Last night was amazing, by the way." Leaning down, his kissed her again. He pulled back just enough to speak against her lips, " _You_ were amazing."

Anna smiled, feeling giddy again both from the night before and the happy mood of the morning. She leaned forward and kissed him more firmly, her fingers trailing up to his jaw. She felt Fred's other hand slip under her, between her side and the mattress. She shivered at the feel of his hand against her bare skin, knowing there was nothing-no barriers-between them. Just like the night before.

She laughed when Fred suddenly rolled onto his back, his arm pulling her with him so that she was laying partially on top of him, chest-to-chest. Just as their kissing took a passionate turn that hinted at a repeat of the night before, Fred's stomach growled so loudly, Anna felt it tremble against hers.

Fred paused while Anna pulled away to laugh.

"I think breakfast is in order." Anna suggested, starting to push herself up. However, Fred tightened his hold around her back to keep her pinned to his chest.

"How about this?" he suggested quietly, his eyes sparkling playfully. "I make you breakfast,…and then we take a shower."

Anna got the hint. "And…are we preserving water with this shower?" she asked in a business-like tone.

"Of course." Fred answered promptly. "Wouldn't want to take all the hot water, would you?"

Anna rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop grinning. "I suppose I can agree to this deal."

"Perfect." Fred kissed her lips before letting her roll off him so he could get up. Anna tried not to watch him while he got up and pulled on his boxers…but it was next to impossible. When Fred turned back to give her a quick kiss, he didn't comment on her blush, but he smirked arrogantly at her before moving around the bed and into the main part of the tent.

Anna sighed, flopping back onto the bed with the blanket pulled up over her chest. She bit her lip on a smile, lost in thought.

She'd known, deep down, it wouldn't hurt. But she didn't expect it to be as amazing as it was. It left her on a high. She was on cloud 9.

It hadn't been smooth sailing, completely. Anna had a couple flashbacks and tensed up, putting things on pause, but after Fred soothed her she insisted on continuing. Fred was incredibly gentle and loving the whole time, and Anna felt completely loved and cared for.

Stretching briefly, Anna sat up and looked around the floor of the room. She could smell the mouthwatering scent of sizzling bacon and eggs in the nearby kitchen, and she couldn't sit anymore. Her own stomach was grumbling as loud as Fred's had been.

Seeing their clothes from the night before sprawled around the room, Anna hesitantly pushed the blanket away and hurried toward the wall where Fred's blue button-down was laying in a crumpled heap on the floor. She knew she shouldn't feel awkward, being naked. After all, Fred was the only one in the tent, and he'd seen everything already. But she couldn't help it as she hurried to pull the shirt on and button it up. She then grabbed her knickers from the night before and pulled them on under the shirt, which reached mid-thigh.

Brushing her fingers through her mildly tangled wavy hair, Anna left the bedroom and instantly found herself in the kitchen/living room hybrid room. Fred, still in only a pair of gray boxers, was standing across from her at the stove with his back to her, the sizzling sound of bacon being cooked filling the silence. Crossing the short distance, her bare feet silent on the grass and carpet on the ground of the tent, Anna came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle. She rested the side of her head against his warm back, feeling the muscles move as he cooked.

"Getting impatient?" Fred teased.

"A little." Anna admitted lightly, kissing his back briefly.

Fred finished cooking a couple minutes later, and they ate their breakfast on the couch that was partially sitting in the small kitchen.

"Well, now I know why I married you." Anna commented after swallowing a bite.

"Oh?" Fred smirked in amusement as he glanced at her. "And why is that?"

"I won't have to cook ever again." Anna joked, pointedly taking another bite with a large smile.

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" Fred pretended to look concerned. "This is a one-time deal. From now on, you have to cook for me. I might cook for you on a very rare occasion,…like your birthday. But other than that-"

Anna elbowed his arm, both laughing as they ate. Fred was finished a couple minutes before Anna, and when she scraped the last of her scrambled eggs into her mouth, Fred took her plate and fork from her, carrying all their dishes to the sink a few feet away. With a wave of his wand, Fred set the dishes to wash themselves. Then, he returned to the couch, but instead of sitting down again, he leaned over her with his hands braced on either side of her head. Anna looked up at him, a soft smile on her face.

"Now, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling kinda dirty and sweaty and in need of a nice, hot shower." Fred told her innocently. Anna knew she was blushing, but she ignored it as she looked up at him.

"Okay. Did you want me to wait here, or…?" she trailed off innocently, pretending to have no clue what her husband was implying.

Fred smirked at her. Then, quick as lightning, he scooped her up bridal style and carried her, giggling, to the bathroom.

"Nope. We're preserving water, remember?"

 **XXX**

 **Yay! They finally got married and did the deed!**

 **Hope everyone liked this chapter. Review and let me know what you all thought!**


	30. Calendar

A series of knocks on Muriel's front door made Annabelle freeze where she'd been setting the dining table. Molly, Ginny, and Muriel near her also watched tensely as Arthur hurried to the door. He asked a security question before opening the door and ushering someone inside. Anna relaxed and set the rest of the dishes on the table as Bill entered the house, carrying a large suitcase and with a frail-looking Mr. Ollivander on his arm.

It was a few weeks after Anna had come to stay at Muriel's house, and very little had changed in the large household. Bill had contacted his parents recently to suggest Ollivander come to stay with them after he'd mostly recovered.

Moving around the table, Anna waited for Molly to help Ollivander to a nearby chair before she stepped forward and greeted Bill with a hug.

"Hey, how've you been?" Bill asked with a smile, squeezing her for a moment before he released her.

"I've been pretty good." Anna admitted.

"Yeah, you missed a lot the past couple weeks, Bill." George spoke up, suddenly appearing behind Anna with Fred at his side. "Anna and Fred finally stopped messing around and made her an official Weasley."

Bill's eyes widened slightly as he looked back and forth between Fred and Anna, who was blushing lightly. George enjoyed teasing Anna, especially the morning after their wedding when they returned to the house. George loved bringing up sex at every possible chance to make Anna blush.

"Wait, seriously?" Bill asked, a grin appearing on his scarred face. "You two got married? How did that-"

"Well, it's not legally binding yet." Arthur pointed out, taking the suitcase from his oldest son. "Since we can't just pop over to the Ministry, but I performed the ceremony and preformed the binding spell. A simple ceremony."

Bill grinned at Anna. "Well, congratulations, sis. Do your parents know?"

Anna grimaced. "No, but I'd like to tell them myself, preferably in person."

"And we'll probably have to have a second ceremony once all this war nonsense is over." Fred added, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Oh, Muriel." Ollivander spoke up from where he was sitting. He held out a small box toward her. "This is from Miss Fleur."

"Oh, it'd better be what I think-" Muriel cut off when she looked inside. "Oh, thank heavens, it is. My tiara." She glanced toward Bill. "I'd started to think you'd stolen it."

"Love you, too, Auntie Muriel." Bill joked, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. "Anyway, I'd better get going. I promised Fleur I wouldn't be long."

Giving Ginny and Molly quick hugs, Bill walked back out the front door and into the night.

"Well, let's all settle down for dinner, and then Arthur can show you to a room, Mr. Ollivander." Molly announced.

"Oh, thank you so much, Molly. And you, Muriel. I greatly appreciate your hospitality." Ollivander told both women earnestly.

Anna sat between Fred and Ginny, eating the dinner she'd helped Molly make. After everyone had finished eating, Anna helped with the dishes while Arthur and Fred helped Mr. Ollivander up to the twins' room, as they had volunteered to move up to the attic to make room. After Anna and Fred got married, she could've moved into their room, as Molly claimed she wouldn't have minded. However, George couldn't move into a room with Ginny, for a couple reasons, and Anna would've felt bad leaving the younger girl alone. So, she stayed with Ginny in their room, apart from the couple times she fell asleep in Fred's bed with him.

Finished with the dishes, Anna grabbed a dish towel nearby to dry her hands when there was a knock on the front door.

Everyone froze; Molly standing next to Anna in the kitchen, and everyone else scattered around the dining room and living room. Then, a familiar voice called through the front door.

"It's Remus Lupin. Werewolf and husband of Nymphadora Lupin, known as Tonks, and Moony of the Marauders. I come bearing news."

Arthur stood up and hurried to the front door, pulling it open to let Remus into the house. His face was mildly pale, his graying hair windswept, and he was wearing a traveling cloak.

"Remus, what is it?" Arthur demanded, closing the door behind him as everyone gathered near the entryway nervously. "What's happened?"

"Dora had the baby!" Remus exclaimed joyfully.

Molly and Ginny squealed and rushed him. Anna's reaction was a second slower, but then she bolted forward and nearly tackled Remus and the other women in a tight hug.

"Oh, Remus, that's wonderful!" Molly cried, finally pulling back with the others. "What is it? Boy? Girl?"

"It's a boy." Remus answered, beaming proudly. "We named him Teddy, after Dora's father. Teddy Remus Lupin. He's a metamorphmagus, too." he added, looking at Anna, whose smile widened at the news.

"Is he changing hair colors by the hour?" Anna asked playfully. "Mum said that's what I did when I was born."

Remus laughed. "Well, he's only a few hours old, and doesn't have much hair. It was black when he was born, but turned ginger within the hour-"

"Kid's got good taste." Fred joked.

Remus grinned at him. "I wouldn't be surprised if it's blonde by the time I get back. I was just at Shell Cottage, telling everyone there, but I figured I'd stop by before I head home."

"Is Tonks with Andromeda?" Arthur asked with a smile.

"Yes, and Sirius, Aslan, and Wren stopped by to help for a bit and celebrate. We made Sirius and Wren Teddy's godparents."

"Oh, I bet my dad was over the moon." Anna laughed, her cheeks starting to hurt from smiling so much.

"Who does he look like?" Molly asked eagerly.

"Well, I think he looks like Dora, but Dora thinks he looks like me." Remus explained.

"We should celebrate!" Molly beamed, clapping her hands.

"Yes, would you like a drink, Remus?" Arthur asked, clapping the new father on the shoulder. "We've got firewhiskey and bourbon."

"I'd love to, but I should be getting back to Dora. And I already had a couple goblets of wine at Shell Cottage. Anymore drinks and I may not be able to Apparate safely home."

"True enough. Well, congratulations." Arthur told him again.

"Ooh, wait, we have a couple slices of chocolate cake leftover. Take it with you for Dora." Anna suddenly exclaimed, hurrying back into the kitchen. She grabbed the wrapped container of cake and hurried back, handing it to Remus.

"Hey, what if we wanted that?" Fred and George protested.

"You didn't just push out a baby." Anna retorted, making most of the crowd laugh.

"Thank you." Remus said with a smile.

"No problem. Tell my family I said hi. And Dora and Teddy, of course. I expect pictures next time I see you." she informed him sternly, pointing a finger in his face.

Remus chuckled. "Of course." Hugging her briefly with one arm, Remus bid everyone a good night and left out the front door again.

XXX

Anna was jolted awake when something bumped her bed. Lifting her head drowsily, she looked around and saw a blurry Ginny carrying in a pile of folded clothes. Rubbing her eyes with a tired fist, Anna blinked and watched the younger girl put the clothes in the drawer across the room.

"Ginny? What're you doin' up so early?" Anna mumbled.

Ginny turned and looked at her incredulously, her brows high on her forehead. "'Early'?" she repeated. "It's 11:00. Mum said lunch will be ready in about half an hour. I wish I could sleep in that late."

Anna's eyes widened and she struggled to sit up and look at the clock on the bedside table. Sure enough, it was only a few minutes away from 11:00.

"Wow. Sorry, I must've been tired." Anna told her, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"I guess. But you went to bed pretty early last night." Ginny pointed out, looking mildly confused. "Like, you headed up around eight last night and were asleep before I came up. Same thing a couple nights ago."

Anna shrugged. "Well, between helping your mum around the house, cooking, and helping the twins, I've been working kinda hard." That, and all the stress. Nearly every morning, Anna dreaded asking Arthur if there was any news in the paper or on the radio, and sometimes she struggled to get to sleep when thoughts swirled her mind.

Ginny hummed and then nodded. "I suppose that's true. You know you don't _have_ to help out that much." she added. "You're making the rest of us look bad." The last sentence was said more teasingly.

Anna rolled her eyes and stood up. "Shut up."

A couple days later, Anna managed to wake up early enough to eat breakfast with the rest of the family, but she was still feeling a bit sleepy.

Passing the plates of food around the crowded breakfast table, Fred passed Anna a plate of bacon, which she passed on to George with a mild grimace. George took the plate from her, but paused, staring at her.

"What?" she asked curiously, scooping up some scrambled eggs with her fork.

"You don't want bacon?" George checked, holding the plate closer towards her. Anna instinctively leaned back, wrinkling her nose at it. The mere thought of eating the bacon made a bile fill her mouth.

"Uh, no thanks." she told him.

"Are you ill?" George asked with wide eyes, pulling the plate closer to him again. "It's _bacon_. Since when do you turn down bacon?"

"He's got a point." Fred agreed from her other side, making her look at him. "You love bacon."

"I-I just don't feel like bacon today." Anna stuttered, trying not to show that they had a point. "And I'm not that hungry yet. It's not that big of a deal."

"Yeah, guys, lay off." Ginny agreed. "We have bacon and eggs almost everyday for breakfast. Maybe she just needs a day _without_ bacon."

Everyone chuckled in agreement and the matter was dropped. Anna's mind continued to repeat Ginny's argument. After all, she'd eaten bacon for breakfast almost everyday in the last month she'd come to stay at Muriel's house. Maybe her stomach finally got sick of the salty, greasy, crispiness that is bacon.

Everyone finished eating breakfast before Anna, who was taking her time. Her stomach still felt a bit funny, even without eating the bacon. When she finished eating, her and Molly were the only ones in the kitchen, the older woman washing the dishes by hand at the sink. Anna figured this gave her more things to do to fill her day.

Anna set her plate in the sink, at Molly's request, and stood off to the side to finish her tea. She leaned her back against the edge of the counter, holding the mug between her hands as she sipped. Her eyes were fixed dazedly on the far wall, lost in thoughts that even she was unaware of. Then, her eyes focused on what she'd been staring at.

The calendar.

Blinking, Anna took the few steps to cross the kitchen and stood in front of the calendar. Arthur had taken to crossing off the days on the calendar as they went by, so Anna could easily see that the current date was the last day of April; April 30.

Furrowing her brows in confusion, Anna's eyes scanned the calendar. Her period should've been the third week of the month; it had always been the third week of the month since she was sixteen years old. But she was just noticing that hadn't happened this month. Then again, she hadn't been paying much attention to specific dates since the first of the month; the twins' birthday. But now that she thought about it, she'd had a bit of spotting and cramping a few days after the twins' birthday, and she'd assumed that was her period. However, she was just realizing that was a couple weeks early.

Anna took a sip of her tea, silently contemplating what this could mean. What would cause her period to be a couple weeks early? And so short?

"Anna?" Jumping in surprise, Anna looked over her shoulder to see Molly looking at her in concern. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine." Anna assured her. Finishing her tea in a gulp, she crossed the kitchen and placed the mug in the sink. "I was just thinking. I hadn't realized how long we'd been here."

"Oh, I know. It feels like it drags on, and yet it feels like we haven't been here that long, at the same time. Goodness, you and Fred have already been married for just over a month." she added in bewilderment.

Anna chuckled quietly. "I know. It's crazy." She took a couple of the wet dishes off the counter and dried them with a nearby dishcloth. However, mid-swipe of the cloth over a plate, she paused. It'd been a month since her and Fred got married.

It'd been a month since they had sex.

Anna looked over her shoulder at the calendar again. It couldn't be. Right? She couldn't be…

She couldn't be pregnant. Right?

Anna turned to Molly, her mouth opened to ask, but then she stopped. She couldn't ask her mother-in-law. Molly would freak out. She'd blow it way out of proportion. Sure, she'd know how to find out. She'd been pregnant enough times she was basically an expert by now. But she would _definitely_ overreact. And Anna didn't want anyone freaking out if she was just blowing things out of proportion.

Now that the possibility was in her mind, however, Anna found she couldn't push it away. And things were popping up in her mind, now. Like the fact that she remembered her mum having aversions to foods she previously loved when she was pregnant. Just like how Anna had felt ill at the mere thought of eating bacon that morning.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Anna suddenly felt ill. Not like she was actually going to puke, but like she had a nervous stomach. What if she really was pregnant? Her and Fred had only just gotten married, and even then, it wasn't legally binding yet.

Shaking her head, Anna put the last dish in the cupboard. Mumbling something about going to help the twins, she headed for the backroom, though she wasn't sure how much help she would be. But she had to distract herself. There was no actual proof that her suspicions were true. She was probably overreacting. Yeah, that was it.

Anna fed the Pygmy Puffs, who squeaked happily over the food as they ate. She then tried to help make a couple products, but after causing a _small_ explosion, she decided to just take care of the owls and Pygmy Puffs. But no matter how busy she tried to make herself, she couldn't get her focus completely off her predicament. Finally, later in the afternoon, she made some excuse to go to hers and Ginny's room.

Laying in her bed, already feeling exhausted even though she'd hardly done anything, Anna decided that she couldn't go on like this. The uncertainty would drive her insane. She needed to find out the answer, no matter what that answer may be.

XXX

Anna forced herself awake horribly early on May 1. She'd planned it all out the day before while laying in bed. Glancing carefully at Ginny, Anna knelt on the ground by her bed, shielded from Ginny's view should the redhead awake. Pulling on some clothes and her traveling cloak, which she'd stashed under her bed, she grabbed her wand and cast a charm on her feet to prevent them making sounds. Then, she moved silently out of the room, down the hall, down the stairs, and out the front door.

The sky was dark navy, but the horizon was lightening slightly and only a few stars remained above. The sun would be rising in about an hour or so.

Glancing back to ensure no one noticed her leaving, Anna hurried down the walkway toward town. As she walked, she changed her appearance to that of a tan-skinned woman with black, curly hair. When she was sure she'd left the protective enchantments, she gripped her wand tightly, closed her eyes in concentration, and twisted on the spot.

She reappeared in a familiar, cobblestone alley and quickly backed into a shadow.

Diagon Alley was as dreary and battered as the last time she'd been there. Most of the shops were boarded up with broken windows and signs falling off. There was the occasional straggler wandering about, but as it wasn't even five in the morning yet, there weren't many people around.

Taking a deep breath, Anna pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head, tightened her grip on her wand, and crept carefully down the alley, sticking to the shadows as best she could.

She passed a few shops before she found the one she was looking for.

Flourish and Blotts was in as bad a shape as the other stores. The owner had clearly fled, as there were wooden boards across the front door and windows, though the glass was still grimy and broken, anyway.

Glancing around to ensure no one was watching her, Anna carefully stepped through a large gap in the broken window. Slipping into the building, she straightened and looked around. It was still full of bookshelves, but several books also scattered the floor, and it was dark and eerie inside.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Anna debated where she should look. Finally, she decided to start alphabetically. So, the letter 'P'.

Moving through the abandoned bookstore, she scanned the spines of books as she passed every shelf, occasionally letting her fingertip skim the dusty spines as she went.

She searched for at least five minutes, maybe ten, before she found a section with a few pregnancy books. Picking one at random, she pulled it out and held it in one open palm, using her other hand to turn the pages with a finger while it held her wand.

Luck seemed to be with her for the moment, because the first chapter was all about the signs and symptoms of pregnancy.

 _'Some of the earliest symptoms include spotting and/or cramping six to twelve days after the egg is fertilized. Another week or so, and your breasts might feel swollen, heavy, or tender.'_

Anna noted that she hadn't noticed this, but now that she read this part, she realized her breasts had been feeling tender. She'd just brushed it off to being her period.

 _'You might start feeling unusually fatigued as early as a week after conception. Morning sickness is a well-known sign of pregnancy, but that typically takes about five weeks to show up, and even that varies. Some women might not even have any morning sickness. Less obvious are food cravings and aversions. Some of your favorite foods might suddenly sound disgusting.'_

Anna swallowed and skimmed through the next page. She recognized a lot of those symptoms, and she'd already known about some of them. What she needed was a way to know for sure.

Finally, on the next page, she found a few ways to find out. The page said some women go to a hospital, such as St. Mungo's, for a checkup, but she obviously couldn't do that. Luckily, there was a charm listed that could tell if she was pregnant. Unlike muggle pregnancy tests, which take at least six weeks to show a positive, and still are not always accurate, a magical test would show a positive a week after conception, and are always right, due to the pregnancy causing changes in the magic in the woman's blood.

Anna read the instructions carefully, kneeling on the ground and placing the book on the ground in front of her. The book said to move the wand in a circle over the stomach area, around the bellybutton, while saying the incantation. If the wand tip glows light green, it's positive. If it glows white, it's negative.

Taking a deep breath, Anna slowly moved her wand in a circle around her bellybutton while saying clearly, _"Gravidam."_

The second she waited for the result seemed to drag on. She stared down at her wand, her eyes burning without blinking. Finally, her wand tip glowed.

It glowed _green_.

Anna stared in silent shock for several minutes.

Pregnant. She was _pregnant_. In the middle of a war. She was bringing a baby into a dangerous, warring world, while she was in hiding and her family separated. Her parents didn't even know her and Fred got married. Her and Fred weren't even _actually_ married yet.

A sound brought Anna out of her panicked thoughts. Glancing around, she realized she wasn't in a safe place. She couldn't afford getting lost in her thoughts here. Pushing her revelation to the back of her mind, she put the book away on the shelf and moved through the shop until she reached the front again. With her wand at the ready and her hood back up, she peaked back and forth out the broken window before stepping out onto the lane. She hurried up the cobblestone lane a good distance before focusing on somewhere and twisting on the spot.

She reappeared in a strip of woodland just outside of a small town. She pulled her hood back down again, still disguised as a tan-skinned woman with black, curly hair. She held her wand subtly hidden up her sleeve as she left the cover of the trees and approached the town of Ottery St. Catchpole.

She approached the small marketplace in the middle of town and bought a large bag's worth of groceries. Of course, she subtly put a feather-light charm and extension charm on the bag so she could buy _a lot_ of food without anyone noticing.

She'd planned this out the night before when she'd planned out the whole outing. On the chance the Weasleys notice her disappearance before she returned, she needed an excuse about where she went. Considering how many people were in the house to feed, Muriel had to go into Ottery St. Catchpole, which she lived near, every few days or so to buy food since no one else could leave the house. Anna figured no one could fault her for wanting to help out and get food.

When she had enough food to last at least a week, Anna went back to the nearby woods and apparated back to Muriel's house. She reappeared outside the protective enchantments and began walking up the path to the house, letting her disguise fall away to reveal her true self. She saw that the sun was rising, and it was probably about seven or eight in the morning.

Before she reached the front door, it swung open and Fred marched out, causing Anna to pause.

"Fred!" Arthur called, hurrying after him. "I told you to wait. We need to ask a security question to make sure it's her!"

Fred stopped a couple feet in front of Anna and rolled his eyes. He looked tense and angry, his jaw clenched. "We know it's her, Dad. We just saw her change from the window."

"Humor me." Arthur told him, stopping at his son's shoulder and glancing between Anna and his son.

Fred sighed impatiently and met Anna's eyes. She shrank in on herself a bit when she saw how angry-and worried-his eyes were.

"What kinds of flowers do I always get you?" he finally asked quietly, his voice less angry.

Anna swallowed thickly. "Oriental lilies and tulips. The same kind I had at our wedding a few weeks ago." she answered quietly. Her mind flashed to their wedding night, which is what caused this outing, but she squashed those thoughts.

Fred glanced at his dad. "There. It's her. Happy?"

"Immensely." Arthur answered dryly, waving his arm to gesture Anna toward him. "Now, let's get inside. Come on."

Anna looked down at the ground as she walked past the two men and toward the house. Several people were just inside the doorway, making Anna even more embarrassed.

"Oh, Anna!" Molly cried when she entered the house. "We were so worried about you! What were you thinking?" she demanded, hugging Anna tightly and almost squashing the bag Anna was clutching to her chest like a lifeline.

"I-I just wanted to get groceries." she stuttered quietly, feeling Muriel, Ginny, and George staring at her. "We were getting low, and I just wanted to help."

"Oh, sweetie, you didn't need to do that." Molly told her gently. "You're supposed to be in hiding, like the rest of us."

"I disguised myself. No one knew it was me. And I just went to Ottery St. Catchpole." Anna explained quietly.

"And you couldn't wait until someone else was awake?" Fred asked, moving around her to look into her eyes. He didn't appear as angry as before, but he looked worried, and even a bit stern. "You couldn't have told someone? We woke up to find you gone. Do you know what that was like?"

Anna swallowed thickly, unable to meet his eyes. She looked at her feet, feeling herself start to tremble. What if he got so angry at her, that he wanted to leave her? What if he got angry about the baby?

"I'm sorry." she breathed.

"It's alright, dear. All that matters is that you're safe." Molly told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a small hug. "Now, why don't I take those groceries into the kitchen and start on breakfast. Is there anything specific you want to eat? Maybe pancakes for a change?"

A bile rose in Anna's throat at the thought of eating, though she couldn't tell if it was because of the pregnancy, or because she was upset.

"Actually, I'm not hungry right now. I think I'll just go back to bed, if that's alright." she said, trying to hold herself together when she just wanted to break down.

"Are you sure, dear?" Molly asked worriedly. "No one's mad at you, Anna. We were just scared."

Anna couldn't help glancing in Fred's direction without actually looking at him. "No, thank you, Molly. I'm just tired. I'll eat later."

"Alright, dear. If you're sure." Molly finally agreed, though she sounded hesitant.

Anna nodded and passed the bag to Ginny when she offered. Without looking at anyone, Anna went up the stairs toward hers and Ginny's room, her tired feet dragging all the way. When she reached her room, she kicked off her shoes, tossed her cloak to the floor, and crawled onto her bed, curling up atop the covers.

She wasn't even alone for a minute before the door creaked open. With her back to the door, she couldn't see who it was. But the scent told her easily. Wood and gunpowder.

Fred sat on the edge of her bed by her back and was silent for a few moments.

"You wanna talk about it?" he finally asked. Anna didn't respond or move. "Anna, please talk to me." he told her gently. "I know you left something out when you told us where you went. I know you were telling the truth about going to the town, but you're leaving something out. Please, just talk to me."

Anna opened her mouth, but was silent for a few moments. She couldn't force out the answer. She couldn't say it yet. She had so much on her mind. She needed to sort some things out first. "I can't." she finally croaked, wiping a tear off her cheek.

"Why?" Fred asked gently. "Why can't you? You know I'm not mad at you, right? I mean, I kinda was, but I was more scared. To wake up to Mum freaking out because you were gone…I didn't know what to do; what to think."

"I just need some time, Fred." Anna sighed heavily, still not turning to look up at him. "I have a lot to think about."

There was silence for several moments, and it grew tenser with every second.

"What's there to think about?" Fred asked warily. "Is it…something to do with me? Us?"

Anna swallowed and shrugged a shoulder. "Kinda."

Fred gently grabbed Anna's shoulder and pulled her until she rolled onto her back. Anna found herself staring up into his eyes as he searched hers. He looked worried; scared even.

"Anna, please," he whispered, "tell me what's going on." he begged.

"I just need to think." she whispered desperately. "Please, just give me some time to think, Fred. I'll come down and talk to you in a while, but please, just give me some time."

Fred stared at her intensely, his eyes searching hers desperately for a sign. Finally, he deflated with a sigh.

"Okay. I'll leave you alone." he agreed slowly. Hesitating, he leaned down and kissed her forehead gently, his hand moving down to brush a tear gently from her cheek. When he pulled back, he told her quietly, "I love you."

Anna smiled sadly, tears stinging her eyes. "I love you, too, Fred."

Fred forced a smile before standing and leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

When he left, Anna rolled back onto her side with her back to the door. What she'd said was true. She had a lot to think about. She was going to be a mother. Yes, Fred would be a father, but…he handled things better than her. She wasn't sure she could do this. 'This' being raising a baby, a child, in a war. If anyone, Death Eaters, found them hiding out at Muriel's house, they would have no problems targeting her child. The child of a bloodtraitor and a 'filthy halfblood'; the grandchild of Sirius Black. If Bellatrix found out about the baby, she'd probably want to torture it, slowly and painfully to make Anna and everyone involved suffer. Just the thought made Anna ill. She couldn't let anyone hurt her baby.

She had no idea how Molly and Arthur had done this; raised not one, but _seven_ children in a war. It was petrifying.

A knock finally pulled Anna from her jumbled thoughts. Glancing warily over her shoulder, she saw George in the doorway with a tray.

"Hey." he greeted her easily, approaching her bed with the tray in both hands. "Sit up."

"George-"

"It's lunchtime." he informed her. "And you haven't eaten anything yet. You either eat this with me watching, or Mum's going to come up here. And I don't think you want that."

Anna hadn't realized how long it'd been, but her stomach grumbled. Sitting up, Anna leaned back against her pillow, waiting silently for George to place the tray on her lap. It had a steaming cup of tea and a peanut butter sandwich. George moved around her bed and sat on the edge of Ginny's, his eyes fixed on Anna's face while she took a slow sip of her tea.

"You don't have to stay." she whispered, setting the mug back down.

"Yes, I do. If I don't, Mum will come up here and spoon-feed you. Plus, I wanted to talk to you. _After_ you'd taken a few bites of that, first." he added when Anna looked at him.

Sighing in defeat, Anna lifted the sandwich and took a bite, chewing it slowly in case her stomach rebelled. "Happy?" she asked after she swallowed.

"Not really." George admitted. "What's the deal with you and Freddie?"

Anna's brows furrowed in confusion. "Nothing."

George's brows rose doubtfully. "Really. Well, you've got him in a right mood, worrying you're going to divorce him or something."

"What?" Anna asked in shock, her eyes going wide.

"Yeah. Said that you said you needed time to think. That you had a lot to think about, regarding you and him. He thought that meant you wanted to leave him."

"No!" Anna nearly shouted, sitting bolt upright. "No, no, that's not it. I swear it! I love Fred; I love being married to him. That's not it at all!"

"I figured." George agreed with a nod. "But that doesn't change the fact you've got him scared. And the longer you stay up here, holed up away from everyone, the more scared he's getting. You need to go down there and talk to him, tell him what's going on. The whole point of marriage is helping each other. Let him help you."

Anna took a deep breath, slouching against her pillow. "I'm scared." she admitted weakly. "I…I just found something out, and…I don't know what to do."

George's brows furrowed worriedly. "Is someone hurt? Did you hear some news or something? Did you hear about Gringotts?"

"No, I-wait, what happened at Gringotts?" Anna asked, even more worried now.

"Oh, it was on the radio. Harry, Ron, and Hermione broke into Gringotts and stole a dragon. Don't know why or what the point was in that, but I'm sure they've got their reasons. Anyway, if it's not that, did you hear something else? With your parents or something?"

"No, nothing like that." Anna shook her head. "And if I'm going to tell anyone, it's going to be Fred, but…I'm just freaking out a bit, is all."

"Yeah, well, you freaking out is freaking out Fred. And that takes a lot." George told her, partially joking and partially serious.

Anna smiled weakly over at him. "I'm sorry. I'll come down and talk to him in a bit, I should just eat this first."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." George agreed lightly.

"Can you tell Fred…just tell him he doesn't need to worry?" she asked quietly, her eyes tearing up. "I swear, I'm not going to leave him. I love him more than anything in the world."

George smiled softly at her, reaching over and holding her hand in his. "I know that. And you're both good for each other. I'll tell him all that, and that you'll be down in a little while. Don't make me a liar, though." he added jokingly.

Anna laughed tearfully and nodded. "I won't. I'll be down later."

George left her to finish eating, and then Anna took a shower. She knew she was kinda putting off going to talk to Fred, but she finally forced herself to go downstairs. Leaving her dishes in the sink, she passed through the living room and paused in the doorway to the backroom. George had his back to her on the far side of the room, working on something at a work table. Fred, also, had his back to her, but he was staring out the window in front of him from where he sat, lost in thought.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Anna lightly knocked on the doorway.

Both guys turned to look at her. Fred's eyes softened slightly, and Anna knew he noticed how she anxiously crossed her arms over her stomach. Taking a shaky breath, she moved into the room and stopped about a foot away from Fred's chair.

"Hi." she whispered.

Fred smiled softly at her, reaching up and taking one of her hands in his. "Hi."

"I'm gunna get some food." George announced loudly, crossing the room. "You guys want anything?"

Anna shook her head while Fred answered, "No, thanks, Georgie."

George nodded and smiled reassuringly at Anna before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Anna glanced around, unsure what to do. Fred tugged on her hand, pulling her attention to his face. He was looking up at her worriedly.

"Anna, come on. It's me. You know you can talk to me." he told her gently.

Anna took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the table. When she looked at Fred again, he raised both eyebrows and scooted his chair back a bit, patting his lap. Anna smiled softly at him and moved to sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her to his chest with her head pressed under his chin.

"You can tell me anything, love. Just talk to me." Fred told her gently, running his fingers up and down her back.

"You were right." Anna admitted quietly. "I went somewhere else before I went to Ottery St. Catchpole. That was just my excuse if someone asked where I'd gone. I went to Diagon Alley."

Fred paused, his hand stilling in the middle of her back. "Why would you go there?" he asked; not angry, just confused and a bit concerned. "You weren't checking on the shop, were you?"

"No." Anna shook her head slightly. "I didn't even think of that, to be honest. I went to Flourish and Blotts."

" _Why?"_ Fred asked, completely caught off guard.

Anna looked down, snuggling closer to his chest. He instinctively tightened his hold on her and helped pull her even closer. "I needed to…research something. And I didn't know where else to look. It's not like I could go to the Hogwarts library. Flourish and Blotts was the first place that popped into my head."

"And…what did you need to research?" Fred asked hesitantly.

Anna chewed on her bottom lip nervously. She wasn't sure how to answer, or say it. Could she just blurt it out? Or should she _explain_ how she found out?

Anna opened her mouth, still unsure of what was going to come out, when a set of loud, pounding footsteps cut her off. Sitting up on her husband's lap, Anna looked over her shoulder in time to see the door to the backroom fly open. George and Ginny stood there, both pale and breathing heavily.

"We've got to go to Hogwarts!" George exclaimed urgently.

"I just got a message from Neville." Ginny explained, holding up her D.A. coin. "He said that Harry's back, and they're going to fight. Come on! We've got to go!"

Anna scrambled off Fred's lap, and he stood up quickly after her.

"Wait, like we're going to fight?" Anna questioned as they all hurried out the back door and toward the protective charms. "Fight You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters? At Hogwarts?" Was this it? Was the war about to end, one way or another?

"I think so. Why else would Harry be at Hogwarts?" Ginny asked, leading the others in a fast pace toward the orchard behind Muriel's house.

"Oh, what were you trying to tell me earlier?" Fred suddenly asked, slowing a bit and looking over at Anna.

Anna opened her mouth, but gaped silently for a moment. This didn't seem like the right time, to just blurt out that she would be having a baby as they're going off to fight a battle. Plus, knowing Fred, he wouldn't want her to go to the battle if he knew about the baby. And he may not be able to concentrate if he knew.

"It's nothing important." Anna told him. "It can wait until this is all over."

Fred eyed her doubtfully for a moment. "If you're sure. You'll just have to make sure to tell me when this is all over, then."

"It's a date." Anna agreed with a forced grin.

They reached the edge of the wards, and Apparated in pairs; George with Ginny, and Anna with Fred. They reappeared in Hogsmeade, and Ginny lead them to the Hog's Head Inn. Surprisingly, Lee Jordan was already there briefly talking with the old man who ran the place.

"Fred! George!" Lee exclaimed, greeting them joyously with claps on the back. "Merlin, am I happy to see you guys!" Turning back to the older man, he asked, "So, it's just through this passageway?"

"Yes." the old man grumbled. He was tall and thin, with long, gray hair and a matching beard. When his eyes met Anna's, she recognized the bright blue eyes behind the spectacles, though they lacked the playful sparkle she used to see. Turning to Fred, the old man added, "And tell Longbottom I can't get in a kip when my bar's turned into a railway station."

"Sure thing, Aberforth." Fred saluted the man before following Ginny, who'd already hurried into a passageway in the wall, which had previously been hidden by a portrait of a young girl.

Lee waved Anna through after the twins before following. Cho Chang arrived just then and hurried in after them.

"Did you all get Neville's message?" she asked from the back of the group.

"Yeah, just a bit ago." George answered, glancing back at her.

"Hey," Anna poked Fred's back, "who was that 'Aberforth' guy you talked to. He looks like…well…"

"Dumbledore?" the twins guessed quietly.

"Yeah. That's Aberforth Dumbledore. Dumbledore's brother." George told her. "We don't know him too well. We just…sometimes we'd do our…less than legal business in the Hog's Head and we had a few conversations with him."

"You guys did business without me?" Anna asked, partially joking, but also a bit surprised.

"You probably wouldn't have approved, to be honest." Fred admitted, glancing back at her with a grin.

"Can't be doin' that anymore, Freddie." George joked, clapping his twin on the shoulder. "Now that you've officially handed over your bullocks to your wifey, you can't be keeping secrets."

Anna blushed and whacked George's back while Lee exclaimed a 'What?'

"You got _married_?!" he shouted. "And I wasn't invited?!"

Fred and George both laughed.

"Sorry, mate, but if it makes you feel any better, it wasn't legally binding. So, when the war's over we're gonna have a kind of second wedding. You'll be invited to that one."

"I should hope so. And I know I'd be pushed to the bottom of the list considering the number of brothers you have, but I should at _least_ be considered for groomsmen. Or DJ."

Anna laughed along with the twins, letting the mood be lightened up as they continued the long trek in the smooth, stone tunnel. Brass lamps hung from the walls, causing their shadows to dance on the walls. Eventually, it started to go up steeply so that they had to lean forward at they walked.

Finally, they turned a corner and seemed to finally have reached the end. Ginny lead the way up a small flight of stairs and pushed open a door that looked like the back of another portrait. It swung open and they all climbed out.

As they stepped into an unfamiliar room, several people called out cries of greeting, and Fred passed along Aberforth's message while Anna looked around.

Standing several feet in front of them was a cluster of people from all Houses, surrounding Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Even Luna and Dean were there, probably having gotten Neville's message. Most of the students in view looked battered, Neville and Seamus the worst with several new scars and black eyes.

The room itself was very unfamiliar. It was huge and looked like the inside of a tree house or cabin. There was a balcony that ran all around the walls, and hammocks hanging from the ceiling. There were tapestries for three of the four Houses decorating the walls: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. There were bookcases full of books, a few broomsticks propped against the wall, and a wireless radio in the corner.

"We're in Hogwarts, right?" Anna asked, more to herself, as she looked around.

"Yeah. The Room of Requirement." Seamus told her, having come up to briefly greet the twins and Lee.

Harry appeared to be having a hushed argument with Ron and Hermione, and Fred and George started telling jokes to distract the people nearest. Part of Anna wanted to move closer to the twins, but she also didn't want to risk Fred asking what she'd been about to tell him.

After a moment, Harry called everyone's attention. He explained rather vaguely that he was looking for something that belonged to Ravenclaw. Her lost diadem was mentioned, but it seemed like a long shot since it'd gone missing centuries ago.

Cho Chang offered to take Harry to the Ravenclaw common room, where there was a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw wearing the diadem. When Harry agreed to go, Ginny was quick to suggest, rather defensively, that Luna should take Harry instead. Anna couldn't help a tiny grin at how possessive Ginny still was of Harry. So, Luna lead Harry out of the Room of Requirement through a small cupboard in the corner.

"So, what's the point in Harry having to find this diadem of Ravenclaw?" someone nearby asked another person.

Anna glanced over to see the person shrug. "Whatever it is, it might help take down You-Know-Who."

Sighing, Anna headed toward the wall a few feet over from the entrance and sat on the floor, away from the crowd. Her stomach felt queasy, and she wasn't sure if it was some kind of pregnancy thing like morning sickness, or nerves, or both.

"What are you doing over here?" George asked, leaving the group Fred was entertaining farther into the room. George sat down next to her, looking at her curiously.

Anna shrugged. "Nothing. Just feeling a bit sick, to be honest. Nervous and all that. Do think this is really it? Do you think we'll really fight to the end today?"

George shrugged, leaning his head back against the wall to watch his brother. "Hard to say. Harry's not the most careful bloke, is he? With his luck, he'll get caught or spotted before long, either on his way to Ravenclaw common room or back. Then someone'll likely call old snake-face here. Then there'll likely be a fight. I'm ready for it to be over, to be honest. Being stuck in Muriel's house is driving me mad."

Anna smiled sadly, glancing over at him. "Same here. I just hope it ends in our favor."

 **XXX**

 **We're nearing the end! Let me know what you all thought of this chapter and Anna's little discovery!**


	31. Fight It

It wasn't long after Harry and Luna left the Room of Requirement before more people began showing up through the Hog's Head entrance. Several more members of Dumbledore's Army showed up, and people managed to contact members of the Order of the Phoenix.

Annabelle was just greeting Angelina, Alicia, and Katie with big hugs when she saw her parents and Remus stumble into the room.

"Mum! Dad!" Anna called, rushing past her friends.

Sirius opened his arms and Anna slammed into him, hugging tight and not wanting to let go. She only did when her mum insisted on a hug, as well.

"What are you doing here? What about Aslan?" Anna demanded, both worried and excited.

"Well, we weren't going to miss the fun, were we?" Sirius joked with a grin.

"And Aslan's fine. He's asleep at Andromeda's." Wren added as Remus stepped up to give Anna a hug. "Tonks and Teddy are there, as well."

"Tonks willingly stayed behind?" Anna asked in disbelief.

"I wouldn't say willingly." Remus grinned ruefully. "But Andromeda and I talked her into it."

Molly and Arthur arrived soon after, as did Bill and Fleur, and several people Anna both recognized and didn't recognize.

"Hey, Freddie, Anna, why don't you lot tell Anna's parents what you've been up to?" George teased, forcing his twin to stand next to Anna while he threw an arm around them both. Anna instantly blushed and looked down, while Sirius narrowed his eyes between them warily.

"What now?" he asked suspiciously.

Anna cleared her throat, unsure of what to say. "Um, well,…"

"We kinda…got married?" Fred answered in a questioning tone.

"Sort of." Anna added.

"Magically, but not legally." Fred finished.

Wren's mouth fell open as she looked between them. "You got married without your father and I there?!" she demanded, almost angry as she glared at her daughter.

"Well, since we were in hiding, it's not legally binding, because we couldn't fill out the proper forms from the Ministry. So, we'll technically have to do it again." Anna admitted hesitantly.

"Well, you better hope we're there for that one." Wren informed her sternly, looking between her daughter and Fred.

"Yes, Ma'am." they both chorused obediently.

Wren's stern expression melted into an excited one. "Oh, darling, I'm so happy for you!" she squealed, hugging Anna in a crushing hug. Anna grinned slightly when she saw her father roll his eyes and mutter, 'Women'.

At that moment, a commotion announced the return of Harry and Luna, who looked surprised at all the people present. Harry then announced that they were evacuating the younger kids while everyone else gathered in the Great Hall to prepare to fight Voldemort. The second those words left Harry's lips, a great wave of people, with wands at the ready, surged toward the narrow stairs. Anna stayed back and waited until most of the people had cleared out. She saw that Harry was heading toward the group that had stayed behind, which consisted of Wren, Sirius, Remus, Fleur, Bill, Fred, and George around an arguing Molly and Ginny.

Anna caught enough of the argument to catch that Molly wanted Ginny to go home, due to her being underage, but Ginny was fervently fighting back.

"What were you two thinking, bringing her with you?" Molly snapped at the twins after Fred tried to defend his sister. Both twins looked ashamed, and Anna lowered her own head, even though the scolding hadn't been directed at her. Looking back, maybe if she hadn't been so distracted she might have at least suggested Ginny not go.

Bill also tried to persuade Ginny to go home, and it seemed everyone was against the young girl. Anna couldn't bring herself to join the discussion. After all, Ginny's reasoning was much the same as the one Anna gave herself when she decided not to tell Fred about the baby. She couldn't possibly stay at home, wondering what was happening to her friends and family.

Ginny was on the verge of angry tears when their conversation was interrupted by someone else coming through the passage into the room. A person who overbalanced on the exit and tumbled to the ground.

Anna watched with the others as the familiar person straightened up, horn-rimmed glasses lopsided. "Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I-I-"

Percy Weasley stuttered to silence as his eyes landed on the group, who were all staring at him, as well. He didn't seem to have been expecting most of his family to be there. Anna opened her mouth, glancing between him and his family. She so wanted to tell them what Percy had done for her. How he'd saved her from Umbridge. But she also remembered that he hadn't wanted her to do so.

"So-'ow eeze leetle Teddy?" Fleur asked Remus rather loudly; an obvious attempt to break the tension.

Remus jumped. "Oh, yes. He's fine!"

"Yeah. You promised to bring a picture next time you saw me." Anna added, glancing between the Weasleys and Remus.

"Yes!" Remus exclaimed, yanking a photo from inside his tattered jacket. He held it out so Fleur, Anna, and Harry could all see it. A tiny baby with a full head of turquoise hair grinned back at them, waving his fists at the camera. Anna smiled, a warm feeling bubbling up in her tummy. She subconsciously placed her palm on her flat belly, reminding herself silently that her child and Teddy, less than a year apart in age, would be cousins and hopefully friends.

"I was a fool!" Percy suddenly shouted, making Anna jump and pulling her back to the tense reunion. "I was an idiot, I was a pompous prat, I was a-a-"

"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron." Fred finished for him. Anna hesitantly stepped forward and took Fred's hand in hers. She could tell by his tone he wasn't being hostile, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Percy swallowed thickly.

"Yes, I was!" he agreed.

"Well, you can't say fairer than that." Fred admitted, offering his free hand for his brother to shake. Percy seemed to deflate with relief and Anna smiled.

Molly burst into tears, as she was known to do. She rushed forward, shoving Fred aside to hug Percy to death. Fred stumbled into Anna, and she laughed quietly. While Percy hugged his mum and dad, Anna tugged lightly on Fred's hand.

Fred looked down at her curiously.

"Remember how some mystery person rescued me from Umbridge?" she asked. She figured she could break the news now that the family seemed to have already forgiven Percy.

Fred looked more curious at this topic. "The mystery hero you wouldn't name so I could thank them? Yeah. What about it?"

Anna smiled softly. "It was Percy."

Fred's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He glanced over at his brother, who was talking to George and his parents, before looking back down at Anna again.

" _Percy_ broke you out of Umbridge's office?" he whispered in amazement. "Why wouldn't you want to tell us that?"

Anna shrugged. "He didn't want me to. Maybe he wanted you to forgive him on your own terms, and not feel like you had to because of one good deed."

Fred swallowed thickly and nodded slowly. Turning back to his family, he pulled Anna toward them in time for Molly to release Percy. Percy smiled slightly at Anna before looking at Fred.

"You saved her?" Fred whispered softly.

"I just told him a second ago." Anna admitted when Percy looked at her.

Percy looked back at Fred worriedly and nodded.

Without another word, Fred pulled Percy into a hug. After a second of surprise, Percy returned it tightly.

"Thanks, Perce." Fred whispered before pulling back again and grinning at his brother.

"Well, how about we get upstairs and fight before all the good Death Eaters are taken?" George suggested, clapping both Fred and Percy on their shoulders.

Anna followed the brothers up the stairs and out of the Room of Requirement, briefly hearing Molly yelling at Ginny about something.

In the Great Hall, Anna didn't pay much attention to McGonagall's speech. She stood tensely between Fred and George as McGonagall explained what was happening and ordered anyone underage, or who wanted to leave, to follow their prefects out of the castle.

To nearly everyone's horror, Voldemort's voice interrupted McGonagall to basically announce that if they hand over Harry Potter, he'd leave them alone and they'd be rewarded.

When some Slytherins showed interest in this deal, nearly everyone from the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tables stood up and pointed their wands at the remaining House. McGonagall then ordered everyone who didn't intend to fight to leave, starting with Slytherin House.

As the last of the students were trickling out of the Hall, Kingsley began issuing out orders for a battle plan. Anna, personally, felt immense relief having people like Kingsley in charge.

With only half an hour to midnight, the orders were handed out quickly. Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall were ordered to take groups of fighters up to the Ravenclaw, Astronomy, and Gryffindor towers, as they were the highest in the castle. Remus, Arthur, Sirius, and Kingsley were going to take groups onto the grounds.

"We'll need somebody to organize defense of the entrances of the passageways into the school." Kingsley finished.

"Sounds like a job for us." Fred called out, gesturing to himself, Anna, and George. Kingsley nodded in approval.

"Alright, leaders up here and we'll divide up the troops!" Kingsley called, causing the people he'd named to push to the front of the group.

Dozens of students were put in Fred and George's group, including a few people Anna knew or recognized, such as Lee, Alica, and Hannah Abbott of Hufflepuff.

"Alright, come on, you lot!" Fred called leading the way at a fast pace from the Great Hall. "There are seven secret passages into the castle-eight if you count the Room of Requirement."

"Aberforth's not likely to let any Death Eaters in through his pub, though." Lee pointed out.

"Right. Okay, so there's the one-eyed witch statue," Fred started.

"The one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy." George added.

"What about the Whomping Willow?" Anna reminded them. "Should some of us guard that one, too?"

"Um," Fred glanced over his shoulder, "Hey, Lupin! Did you want us to guard the Whomping Willow entrance, too?"

"No, we'll handle that one since it's on the grounds!" Remus called back, leading his own group out the front doors of the castle.

"Right, you heard him." George turned to the group. "Any of you know where the statue of Gregory the Smarmy is?" A handful of the students raised their hands. "Good. All of you who raised your hands, go there and guard it."

As they hurried past Fred up the stairs, Fred did the same as his twin, asking who knew where the one-eyed witch statue was. They did this a few more times until there was only a few more lesser-known passages to guard. They split up the remaining students among Anna, Fred, and George.

Anna lead her own group of four other students down the corridor and around a few corners from where Fred's group was guarding a passage. She found the one she was ordered to guard, and began giving orders to her group.

"Um, okay, remember any defensive spells you can." Anna told them, not liking being in charge. "And any protective enchantments you know might be helpful."

One of the older students, a seventh year Hufflepuff girl, stepped forward and pointed her wand at the small entrance hidden by a suit of armor.

 _"Protego horribilis."_ she chanted.

 _"Protego maxima."_ Anna added, pointing her own wand at the passage.

 _"Protego totalum."_

 _"Repello Inimicum."_

 _"Salvio Hexia."_

A few of the students contributed their own enchantments until Anna was sure no Death Eater would be getting through this passage.

"Okay, someone keep an eye on that end of the corridor, in case Death Eaters come running from that direction." Anna continued. "Someone else keep an eye on the other direction. Someone watch the windows, to keep an eye on the status of the battle, and anyone else keep an eye on the passage."

Anna and a younger Ravenclaw student stayed to watch the entrance, both holding their wands ready just in case.

"What are the odds of someone actually coming through this entrance?" the boy asked, turning to look up at Anna. She guessed he was no younger than sixteen, but he clearly looked nervous.

"I'm not sure." she admitted, trying not to let her own fear and nerves show. "I would guess they'll be trying to get through Flitwick's shield and onto the grounds before they try this entrance, but it's hard to say."

He nodded, shifting his gaze back to the passage. Anna glanced out the windows across the corridor, but she couldn't see much in the thick darkness.

"Anna!"

Anna's head whipped around and she stared as Fred hurried toward her from the direction of the hidden passage he was supposed to be guarding. Glancing around, Anna saw that it was about five minutes to midnight.

"Fred-what-?"

Anna's bewildered question was cut off when Fred planted his lips on hers, his hands cupping her cheeks. She felt the smooth wood of his wand in one hand brush her cheek.

When he pulled away, it was only a couple inches. When he spoke, it was a quiet whisper that brushed his warm breath over her face. "I love you. I'll see you soon, and when all of this is over, we're going to get married in front of our whole families, and I'm taking you on a long honeymoon."

Anna smiled, her eyes pricking with tears. "Okay. I love you, too, Fred."

Fred kissed her cheek quickly once more before pulling away, throwing her a wink before he hurried back to his post.

Anna shook her head, taking a deep breath to compose herself and force her smile away. Now was not the time to get lovesick.

Her focus was brought back by a sudden onslaught of flashing lights out the window. The girl in her group who'd volunteered to watch out the window leaned to one side to look through the glass.

"It's starting." she announced in a shaking voice. "The Death Eaters are firing spells and things at the shield. It's holding, but…"

Her question was left unfinished. _'For how long?'_

It wasn't long before shouts began echoing from all around. Then, the girl who was at the window suddenly screamed, "Duck!" and dropped to the ground. Anna and the others did the same just as a spell shattered one of the windows and hit the wall above Anna's head.

"Well, safe to say it's started." Anna commented dryly.

Spells continued flying for a few minutes before the castle suddenly shook with a great _BOOM_. Anna stumbled and leaned back against the wall to keep from falling.

Trying to ignore what was happening in the rest of the castle, Anna focused her attention back on the passage. But it was next to impossible. It wasn't long before it was clear that the main shield had been broken down. The flashes got much closer to the castle, and the walls shook every few moments.

Anna coughed roughly as a particularly large explosion shook the castle, causing pieces of stone to fall from the ceiling and dust to fill the air. Hurrying across the corridor, she looked out one of the many broken windows and down at the grounds below. Sure enough, groups of Death Eaters and their supporters were now on the grounds, dueling with Orders members and anyone else who was fighting on their side.

"We've got to help them." the girl beside her decided.

Anna nodded. "Just be careful not to hit our own." she pointed out needlessly, aiming her wand out the window and sending a jinx into the crowd of people crossing the grounds. Her and the girl at her side continued to shoot spells and jinxes into the crowd, being careful not to aim anywhere near their own side. Anna was satisfied to see multiple people drop, either under hers or her companion's spells.

"They're here!" a boy's panicked voice called from behind. Anna and the other girl whipped around in time to see masked figures just inside the secret passage. Luckily, they were stopped by the protective enchantments Anna and the others had put up earlier, but Anna guessed the spells the Death Eaters were shooting now would disintegrate the enchantments fairly soon.

"Everyone get ready!" Anna ordered, turning her back on the windows and aiming her wand readily at the passage entrance. She could make out at least three figures inside the dark passage, but she wasn't sure how many more were out of view. The other kids in the group gathered around her, also aiming their wands.

"Should-should we aim to kill?" one of the boys stuttered nervously, glancing over at Anna.

Anna swallowed, her eyes fixed on the Death Eaters trying to break through their barrier.

"They'll be fighting to kill." she reminded them over the shouts and explosions around the castle. "Do what you have to do to stay alive. If you can live with their blood on your hands, or if you have no choice…do what you have to do. It's up to you."

They accepted her words silently, their wands never wavering from their aim at the passage.

Then, suddenly one of the spells broke through the barrier. Anna jerked to the side, her and one of the other kids falling to the ground and barely escaping the spell. The corridor was suddenly filled with shouts and flashing colored lights as a duel began.

Anna scrambled to her feet and aimed at the nearest Death Eater, firing jinx after jinx at him. When the first Death Eaters fell, Anna thought they might be okay. But then a sudden wave of dark figures swarmed out of the passage, nearly overwhelming Anna and the kids.

 _"Avada Kedavra!"_ A flash of green light hit one of the boys, causing him to drop lifelessly to the ground.

"No!" Anna screamed, firing spells and curses at the man with more fervor than before. But the Death Eaters were pushing them back, causing the group to be forced down the corridors slightly in different directions and separating them from each other.

Anna put one Death Eater in a full body-bind curse when a familiar voice sent chills down her spine.

"Hey, Black."

Anna tensed, but didn't bother to give _Marcus Flint_ a verbal response. She fired a flurry of spells at him, hoping one might hit it's mark. But Flint must have improved his skills.

Physically, Flint didn't look much different from the last time Anna had seen him. He might have bulked up some, and his crooked teeth were more yellow and crooked than ever, but other than that, he looked just the same.

Anna managed to hit him with a Stinging Jinx, which made him grit his teeth in both pain and anger. He fired a couple spells at her before he actually managed to hit her with one of the last spells Anna would want to be hit by.

 _"Imperio!"_

Anna stumbled back until she hit the wall. She shook her head, trying to fight against the fog filling her mind. She felt like she was floating, and every worry she'd recently had-the baby, the war, Fred, the battle-disappeared from her mind. It was an amazing feeling.

Then, a familiar voice spoke in her mind.

 _"Change your appearance."_

 _'What? Why would I do that?'_

 _"Change to look like a Death Eater."_

 _'Why would I do that? Death Eaters are evil. Why would I want to be one?'_

 _"Being you is too difficult. Be someone else for a while."_

Well, the voice certainly made a good point. Being Annabelle had been difficult and worrisome lately. So, Anna let this voice take over for the time being. She felt her hair shrink back into her head, growing very short and lightening to a light brown. She turned into a scruffy man and transfigured her clothes into a robe.

 _"Now, go find someone to fight and kill. Preferably a redhead."_ the voice ordered.

Anna turned and walked down the corridor, leaving the other kids in her group to duel the Death Eaters that had entered through the secret passage. She continued on at a casual pace until she turned a corner. She found herself facing the backs of a few Death Eaters who were dueling two familiar redheads.

Remembering her orders, Anna-disguised-as-a-Death-Eater moved forward and joined the duel, her spells aimed at the younger of the two.

"Hello, Minister!" Percy Weasley called when he knocked the hood off a Death Eater next to Anna. "Did I mention I'm resigning?"

"You're joking, Perce!" Fred cried gleefully as he finally Stunned one of the Death Eaters he'd been dueling, leaving him and Anna dueling one-on-one. Thickness, who Percy had hit with some Transfiguration spell, collapsed in agony. Now Anna and another random Death Eater were left dueling the Weasley brothers.

Anna shot out a quick series of jinxes. Fred managed to block them all except for a Knockback Jinx. Fred slammed back into the wall behind him and winced before throwing himself more into the duel, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

 _"Enough of this! Finish it!_ Kill him _!"_ the voice ordered in her mind.

 _"Avada Kedavra!"_ Anna shouted in a voice that wasn't hers.

Fred dodged the curse and shot back, _"Impedimenta!"_

Anna jerked back and her body was frozen for a second by the jinx. In that moment, the fog receded enough for her to realize what was happening. What she was _allowing_ to happen.

 _'I just tried to kill Fred!'_ she thought to herself, horrified. Her hands shot to the sides of her head, gripping the short hair on the sides.

 _"Kill him!"_ the voice screamed in her head.

"NO!" Anna screamed out loud, clutching at her head as she tried desperately to fight what she now realized was the Imperius Curse.

Fred paused, his wand aimed warily at the Death Eater in front of him. He'd only hit the guy with the Impediment Jinx as far as he knew. That shouldn't have put the guy in so much pain that he was doubled over and clutching his skull. What was going on?

He watched closely as the guy seemed to be struggling with something. Then, something happened. Something Fred wasn't sure how to explain.

The guy sort of changed. His features flickered. His hair turned dark brown, but then went back to the light brown it was. It grew a couple inches before shrinking back into his skull. His skin lightened before returning to the tan it was. Fred tilted his head, barely catching the guy's eyes flash gray before returning to brown.

Then, the guy looked up at Fred, and Fred stared as the face before him changed for a split second. It changed into _Anna's_ face.

 _'It's Anna!'_ he realized.

"Anna?" Fred called hesitantly, lowering his wand slowly.

Anna slowly raised her head. Fred had just enough time to recognize that she was back under the control of the Imperius Curse before she fired a curse at him. Fred blocked it, and continued to block the spells she shot at him. He no longer was aiming to hurt like he'd been when he thought she was an enemy.

"Anna, come on. It's me!" Fred called, hoping to get through to her. "You can fight this! I know you can! Come on, love, fight it!"

 _'Fight it?'_ Anna wondered. _'Why would I fight it?'_

 _"Exactly!"_ the voice in her head hissed. _"Why fight it? Just kill him and be done with it! It'll be one less bloodtraitor in the world!"_

"Anna, listen to me!" Fred yelled, dodging another jinx she shot at him. "Remember what we talked about? Just before the battle? I promised you that when this is all over, we'll get married for real and go on a long honeymoon. And maybe soon we'll have a family! We'll have a couple kids of our own, and you can have whatever kinds of pets you want! Hell, I'll even get you a hippogriff! Just come back to me, Anna!"

 _'Kids?'_ Anna froze, suddenly remembering the tiny baby growing inside her. Fred's baby. She couldn't kill Fred! He was the father of her child and the love of her life!

Anna shook her head harshly, her wand lowering.

 _"No!"_ the voice in her head screamed. _"You have to kill him!"_

 _'I can't! I_ won't _!'_

While Anna tried to fight for control, her body managed to force a couple more curses and jinxes from her wand. It was an inner battle as fierce as the battle raging around her.

"Annabelle Weasley!"

 _"KILL HIM!"_

"NO!"

Anna screamed in refusal, jerking her wand up just as a jet of green light shot from the end. The light hit the brick wall above Fred and Percy's heads, causing the wall to explode. Anna fell backward from the force of the explosion, landing hard on her back. She had enough sense to roll onto her side, covering her head and stomach with her arms as bricks flew all around her.

She waited for a few seconds. The air didn't necessarily settle, as the war continued on around the castle, but the corridor at least quieted as the bricks stopped falling. Slowly, Anna sat up, finally completely free of the hold the Imperius Curse had on her.

Hearing the scraping of bricks shifting, she looked around. Percy was sitting up, shoving bricks away from himself. But a few feet away from him, Anna saw another head of red hair, almost hidden from view by chunks of brick wall.

"Fred?" she whispered weakly, shakily pushing herself to her feet. "Fred?!" she called more frantically, hurrying over and dropping to her knees by him. Fred's head was rolled limply to one side, a brick was on his chest, and another was on his arm. "No, no, no, no…" Anna muttered fearfully, throwing the bricks off him before leaning over him. "Fred, you can't be dead. Please don't be dead." she whimpered in a panic. She leaned over him, one hand on his chest and the fingers of her other hand going under his chin to feel for a pulse. She froze for several seconds, ignoring Percy frantically speaking to her at her side.

Then, under her own frantically-beating heart, she felt a weak heartbeat against her palm, matching the faint pulse against her fingertips. Feeling weak, she dropped her head onto Fred's chest.

"Fred?!" Percy called, kneeling next to Anna. "Fred, can you hear us? Wake up! Anna, is he alive?"

Anna swallowed the lump in her throat, ignoring the warm tears rolling down her cheeks. "Y-yes." she stuttered, her voice rough. "He's alive."

"Oh, thank god!" Percy gasped, shoving some bricks away to make room.

"Fred, please wake up." Anna begged, putting her hand to his cheek.

"Fred?!" a panicked voice called behind Anna. She glanced up just as George appeared at her side.

"He's alive, George." Percy reassured him.

"What happened?" George demanded, dropping to his knees next to Anna, his eyes not leaving his twin's face.

Anna swallowed thickly, her guilt gnawing at her stomach.

"I-I almost killed him." she whimpered.

"What?" George demanded, his eyes shooting to her face.

"It wasn't your fault, Anna." Percy told her firmly. "You were under the Imperius Curse."

"I should've fought harder!" Anna argued, a sob tearing through her throat. "I shouldn't have given in so easily.

"Anna-" George put a hand on her shoulder, and passed her wand back to her.

 _"Crucio!"_ an unfamiliar voice screamed from behind them. A red light hit the wall nearby, making them flinch and scream. Percy shot to his feet and began dueling the Death Eater who was approaching them.

George had just stood up, raising his own wand to prepare to join the duel when-

 _"Avada Kedavra!"_ the Death Eater screamed. A green light hit Percy in the chest with so much force he flew back and landed hard on the ground, his blue eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling through cracked glasses.

"No!" Anna screamed. She whipped around, still on her knees, and shot a curse at the Death Eater with so much force, he flew back and smacked into the far wall with a sickening crack. She whipped back around, staring frantically across the floor at Percy, but she knew he was gone.

"No." Anna whimpered, putting her head briefly on Fred's chest. "No, no, no." She lifted her head again, feeling as if it weighed a hundred pounds. "Fred, please wake up. I need you. Please." she begged, tugging on the front of his jacket.

A quiet groan sounded from Fred's throat, and Anna's breath caught in her throat.

George quickly kneeled next to her, though he was sure to keep an eye on their surroundings. "Freddie? Freddie, wake up. Can you hear us?"

The sound of running footsteps made George stand up and whip around while Anna turned away from Fred, her wand held at the ready.

A pair of Death Eaters rounded the corner and raised their wands. Anna prepared to duel, to avenge Percy and defend Fred. But then a high, cold voice echoed through the walls of the castle as if he were standing right next to them.

"You have fought valiantly." Voldemort's voice announced. Anna, George, and the Death Eaters they were facing paused to listen. "Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste."

George snorted and Anna glanced at him, a shiver running down her spine.

"Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately."

The two Death Eaters glanced at each other before turning and walking away. And yet, Anna couldn't bring herself to relax.

"You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured." Voldemort continued.

He then spoke to Harry, though everyone could still hear him. George had moved back to kneeling by Anna and Fred. Voldemort gave Harry an hour to meet him in the Dark Forest. Voldemort threatened that if Harry did not come, he would enter the fight himself and kill everyone who dared hide Harry from him. Anna knew without a shadow of a doubt that Harry would want to give himself up. He would never stand by and let people die for him if he could stop it.

When he finished speaking, Anna and George exchanged a glance. Anna was just about to suggest they move Fred and Percy, when she was interrupted.

"Well, that wasn't the melodious voice I was hoping to wake up to."

Anna and George looked down to see Fred looking up at them, a wry grin on his dusty face.

"Fred!" Anna shrieked, leaning down and wrapping her arms around his neck while George laughed.

"You mean you don't want Ol' Voldy to sing you a lullaby?" George joked, lightly shaking Fred's shoulder.

Fred snorted, one arm wrapped around Anna's back as she refused to release his neck. "I'd rather listen to Celestina Warbeck."

George laughed, reaching over and patting Anna on the back. "Alright, Anna, let go. We should go find everyone else."

Anna pulled back, staring down at Fred with watery eyes. "I'm _so_ sorry! I almost-I tried to-I-I-"

"Anna, calm down." Fred soothed, reaching up and brushing her cheek with a hand. "It wasn't your fault. You fought it."

"But not in time!" Anna argued.

"Yes, in time." Fred countered. "Your spell hit the wall above my head, not me. Who put you under the Imperius Curse, anyway?"

"Marcus Flint." Anna muttered, looking at her lap.

"That git's a Death Eater?" George scoffed. "Oh, if I see him, he's dead."

"Not if I see him first." Fred countered. "Hey, where's Percy?"

Anna closed her eyes for a moment before peaking down at him. Fred stared at George, his expression going from curious to worried.

"No." he denied.

George's eyes flicked past his twin, and Fred turned his head to follow his gaze. He stared at Percy's lifeless body while George explained.

"Some Death Eaters showed up after you got knocked out. One of them got the better of Percy. Anna got the bloke back, though."

"Of course she did." Fred grinned slightly up at her, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Anna returned it sadly.

"Anyway, we'd better go find the others." George continued. "Can you walk?" he asked his twin, standing up and looking down at Fred.

"Yeah, I-ow." Fred winced when he tried to put weight on his arm, the one that a brick had landed on.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked worriedly, gently taking his arm in her hands.

"Yeah. I don't think it's broken. Just bruised."

"I'm sor-"

"Stop apologizing!" Fred groaned, his head dropping back on the ground. "It's not your fault."

Anna kept her mouth shut after that, helping Fred stand up. She let him lean on her, even though he could walk on his own for the most part. George walked alongside them, hovering Percy's body with them.

Compared to how loud and chaotic the battle had been, the castle was now eerily silent. They passed multiple bodies, and brick walls were cracked and broken apart, and blood stained the floor.

When they neared the Great Hall, where George assumed everyone would be gathering, Oliver Wood came from the large doors leading into the Great Hall.

He waved at them in greeting, grinning slightly. "Fred, George, Anna. You're family's in there. They were looking for you."

"Thanks, Wood." Fred grinned slightly.

"Where're you headed?" George asked curiously.

"Neville and I are gathering up the dead." Wood admitted.

They bid Oliver goodbye and entered the Great Hall. The House tables had been taken out and the Hall was more crowded than Anna had ever seen. There was a raised platform where Pomfrey and a few volunteers were healing the injured, most of the survivors were stood in groups,…and the dead were laid out in a row in the middle of the Hall.

Anna swallowed thickly, not letting her eyes stray to the bodies on the floor. A bile was in her throat, but she tried to ignore it in favor of looking for their families.

She patted Fred's arm, which was draped over her shoulders even though he was hardly putting any weight on her.

"Your family's over there." she told him and George, nodding across the Hall. Fred and George followed her, George still floating Percy's body.

Molly looked up from where the Weasley family was grouped together. Arthur was there with Bill, Fleur, and Ginny. Molly gave a relieved smile when she saw them.

"Oh, thank goodness-" Molly cut herself off and froze when George carefully let Percy float to the ground on the end of the line of bodies. "No." Molly whimpered before screaming, "No!"

With that, she threw herself down onto Percy's chest, sobbing violently. Sadly, this scene wasn't so off that people stared. There were quite a few people crying over bodies.

Anna looked away, feeling sick. Arthur approached his wife and knelt beside her, rubbing her back even as silent tears streamed down his cheeks.

It was so very unfair. Percy had only just reconciled with his family that evening, and now he was dead. Molly finally got her son back, only to lose him in the worst way. It was cruel.

In the process of avoiding looking at the grieving family, Anna glanced back toward the door of the Great Hall. A little closer to the middle of the Hall, Anna saw her parents. They were hugging, Sirius clutching at Wren as if she were a lifeline. Anna's brows furrowed worriedly. She couldn't see her father's face, as his back was to her, but his back and shoulders were shaking violently. Her mother's face, visible over his shoulder, was pale and dusty with darker lines trailing down her face to show her tears.

Slowly stepping away from Fred, Anna walked toward her parents hesitantly. Wren met her eyes when she got closer, her green eyes dark with pain.

"Anna." she breathed, gently pulling away from her husband. Sirius jerked back, his head snapping around to look for his daughter frantically. His long hair was messy, his face pale and dirty, and his eyes bloodshot and puffy as tears poured down his cheeks.

"Dad?" Anna asked worriedly, only for him to yank her into a tight hug, crushing her to his chest. Anna hugged him back hesitantly. Then, her eyes looked down from where her face was peaking over his shoulder.

Just behind Sirius, laying side-by-side in the line of bodies, their hands touching, were Remus and Dora.

"No." Anna whispered weakly, clutching at her dad and hiding her face in his shoulder to hide from the reality. Remus and Tonks couldn't be dead. They just _couldn't_ be. They had to get back to Teddy. Tonks wasn't even supposed to be at the battle!

And yet, Anna knew what she saw was real. She knew she'd lost her cousin, and the man she saw as another father. But her father lost so much more. He'd lost the last of his best friends. And poor Teddy lost both his parents. He would be an orphan, even though he had plenty of family to love him.

Anna swallowed back the thick bile that had risen in her throat. She felt claustrophobic, with her dad clutching her so tightly. Her stomach was queasy and a metallic taste was filling her mouth.

Very gently, because Sirius seemed unwilling to let her go, Anna pulled away. Wren took him from her daughter, holding him again as sobs continued to rip violently from his throat. The sound echoed in Anna ears, making her heart break even more.

"How're the Weasleys?" Wren asked gently, still holding her husband in her arms as he fell apart.

Anna couldn't look at her. She couldn't look at anyone. "Percy's dead." she admitted, in voice croaking as her eyes trailed distractedly down the line of bodies. Then, her gaze froze. She'd spotted two very familiar, dusty faces in the line of bodies, a few people apart.

Lee Jordan's dark eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling above, his mouth partially open. He had blood smeared on one cheek and his dreadlocks were sticking up in all directions.

A few bodies over, Anna felt herself sway on her feet. Katie lay as if she were asleep, perfectly still with her eyes closed. Her face was dirty with a scratch on her forehead and a bruise on her cheekbone.

Anna suddenly felt like the room was spinning around her. So many dead, just laying there as if they were asleep. But they weren't sleeping. They would never wake up again. She would never talk to Remus, or laugh with Dora, or plan her wedding with Katie. Percy would never get to spend anymore time with his family, and Lee would never get to help the twins plan a prank again.

Anna felt her stomach lurch and turned away, racing across the Great Hall and out the doors. She barely made it to a corner of the Entrance Hall before she fell to her hands and knees and threw up.

It felt like it would never end, but eventually, Anna felt like her stomach was empty. Tears were pouring from her eyes, both from the puking and from the grief. She stayed there even after she finished being sick, just crouching on her hands and knees as she gasped to catch her breath.

She flinched when a large, warm hand rested gently on her back, rubbing it soothingly. She sniffled, knowing she looked disgusting with her face blotchy and covered in dirt and tears, snot dripping from her nose, and her breath smelling of puke. She hesitantly peaked over at the person she sensed kneeling beside her.

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the familiar freckled face, blue eyes, and red hair. A familiar face she hadn't seen since Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Forgetting about how gross she looked, Anna threw her arms around Charlie's neck, clinging to him as she sobbed into his shoulder. Charlie held her close with both muscular arms, rubbing her back and shushing her gently.

"It'll be okay, Anna." Charlie whispered gently. "It's okay."

"No!" she protested weakly. "No, it'll never be okay again."

"It might not feel like it right now." Charlie agreed. "It'll take a while, but I promise it'll get better."

Anna sniffled, trying to quiet her sobs before she pulled away and wiped her face off with her hands.

"When did you get here?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Just now. I was gathering some reinforcements. But I guess You-Know-Who called a timeout?"

Anna nodded desolately. "Yeah, for an hour. He wants Harry to meet him in the Dark Forest. Everyone's in the Great Hall."

Charlie nodded. "Yeah, I saw. Ginny mentioned she was going to help Neville gather up the dead and injured."

Another sob shook Anna's chest. "Percy's dead. And Remus, and Tonks, and Katie and Lee. And I almost killed Fred!" she began babbling and crying uncontrollably. Charlie gently pulled her into another hug, and she clung to him.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, realizing what she just said. She'd just blurted out that his brother was dead.

"Shh." Charlie shushed her gently, rubbing her back. "I already knew about Percy." Despite him trying to make her feel better, she could hear the grief in his voice. He was the only one of the family not present when Percy made amends. He didn't get to talk to his brother one last time before he died.

"He died protecting us." Anna told him quietly.

"I know. He was a Gryffindor to the end." Charlie agreed.

"He saved me from Umbridge, just before I had to go into hiding." Anna added, for some reason needing to make sure Charlie knew how brave his brother was. "He broke me out of her office after-hours and smuggled me to his flat."

Charlie chuckled slightly. "Good. Now, how about we go back into the Great Hall?" he suggested, pulling away and gently tucking a stray piece of hair behind Anna's ear. She nodded weakly.

Charlie helped her to her feet and lead her back into the Great Hall. She noticed and didn't comment on the fact that he walked so that her view of the line of bodies was mostly blocked. They crossed the Hall to where the Weasley family was still gathered around Percy's body, though by now Sirius and Wren had joined them, as did Ron and Hermione.

"Where's Harry?" Anna asked, her voice a low croaking. She cleared her throat awkwardly.

"We're not sure." Hermione admitted worriedly. "He ran out a while ago. I think the grief got to him."

"Do you think he'll give himself up?" Charlie asked, putting an arm around his mother, who was dabbing her face with her sleeve.

"If he thinks it'll save lives, he just might." Sirius admitted lowly. Anna noticed his grip on Wren's waist was almost-painfully tight, as if he were clutching to a lifeline.

Glancing around at the rest of the faces in the group, Anna met Fred's eyes and realized he'd been watching her. For how long, she didn't know. Blinking back fresh tears, Anna ducked her head and looked down at her feet. She couldn't look Fred in the eye. Not right now. Despite what he said, she'd almost killed him.

Shoes scuffed the ground and suddenly, Anna was gently pulled into Fred's chest. She hugged him back hesitantly, hiding her face in his chest. His breath was warm on her cheek, his lips near her ear.

"What made you fight it?" Fred breathed.

Anna's brows scrunched up, confused. "What?" she breathed back.

"The Imperius Curse." Fred affirmed, making Anna stiffen. "You fought it in the end. What gave you the strength to fight it?"

Anna swallowed thickly. "You."

"What about me?" Fred asked, a slight grin in his voice.

"You…talking about having a family." Anna admitted quietly. Fred's arms tightened around her in response.

"You see? You never wanted to hurt me. Whatever happened in that fight wasn't your fault. It was Flint's. You would never have tried to hurt me. I know that, and you know that. Okay?"

Anna relaxed, melting into his chest and nodding. "Okay." Part of her still blamed herself, but she couldn't let that control her. She couldn't let the guilt eat at her. For Fred, and for their baby.

 **XXX**

 **This seemed like a good stopping point. The rest of the battle will be in the next chapter. We're nearing the end! Aaahh!**

 **Anyway, let me know what you all thought of this chapter! Especially Flint's surprise return and him putting Anna under the Imperius Curse!**


	32. Dawn of a New Day

For a while, everyone moved about the Great Hall, gathering with family and friends, grieving their losses, and healing the injured. Molly healed Fred's wounded arm, which Annabelle tried not to feel guilty for.

No one saw Harry for the longest time, and Anna could tell many people, her father included, were horribly worried.

Anna was sitting with Fred, George, and Angelina, all of whom were subtly grieving for Lee and Katie, whose bodies were in the line of casualties laid out in the middle of the Great Hall.

And then, the almost peaceful environment that had fallen over the Great Hall was broken by an eerie, cold voice echoing loudly across the castle.

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone."

Voldemort continued to talk, but Anna felt like she'd gone numb. She saw her parents rush from the Great Hall, as did McGonagall. Anna stood shakily to her feet, and felt hands hold her steady. She turned and looked up at Fred, who met her eyes looking just as worried, and even scared, as her.

They joined the mass of people hurrying from the castle. Anna didn't make it outside before she heard McGonagall's scream.

"NO!"

Anna flinched, her blood running cold. She'd never heard such a raw, agonized scream and almost couldn't believe it came from her reserved, strict former Head of House. More worried and scared than before, Anna shoved even faster through the crowd in Fred and George's wake. As they reached the front of the crowd that had stopped just outside of the castle, Anna heard Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Sirius scream in pain and denial.

Anna froze in horror as she stared across the castle grounds. Voldemort and his Death Eaters were spread out facing them. Hagrid appeared to be a prisoner, standing just behind Voldemort. Though his beard and hair hid most of his face, Anna could hear his sobbing from across the grounds, and in his arms…was Harry's limp body.

Anna's stomach clenched and she felt like she might puke again. Her legs shook and she almost dropped to her knees. This was the worst thing to happen. If Harry was dead, Voldemort would rule the world. Anna's hand went to her stomach, terrified for her baby. How could she ever protect her baby from Voldemort's cruel reign?

The conversation was a lull in Anna's ears. She saw Hagrid lay Harry's body at Voldemort's feet. She watched in a daze as Neville ran forward to challenge Voldemort. Her mouth fell open in horror when Voldemort put the Sorting Hat on Neville's head and set it on fire.

Then, everything happened at once.

Hundreds of people came racing across the grounds, screaming battle cries as they charged Voldemort's forces. Hagrid's giant half-brother, Grawp, slammed into some giants who were fighting for Voldemort and arrows suddenly rained down from the Dark Forest, causing the Death Eaters to scatter in panic.

Despite this chaos, every eye seemed to fix on Neville as he broke free of his Body-Bind Curse, pulled the Sword of Gryffindor from the flaming hat, and sliced off the head of Voldemort's snake.

Anna backed toward the front doors of the castle, covering her stomach protectively with her arm as she was pushed and buffeted by the crowd as many of them hurried toward the castle to escape the giants' enormous pounding feet. Centaurs were scattering the Death Eaters, hippogriffs and what Anna recognized as thestrals-she was seeing them now after seeing deaths in the earlier battle-were flying around the giants' heads and scratching at their eyes. Due to the stomping feet, people were being forced back into the castle to avoid being crushed.

George pushed Anna back toward the castle while shooting a jinx at some oncoming Death Eaters. Anna gripped her wand tightly in her hand and started shooting curses and jinxes, as well. Anyone who fell was soon trampled by the crowd rushing to get into the Great Hall.

Creatures joined the fight as centaurs and house elves raced into the Great Hall to join the fight. Anna was almost shocked to see Kreacher, the Black family house elf, at the head of the little creatures, wielding a knife and shouting, "Fight! Fight! Fight for my Master, defender of house-elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!"

Anna didn't have time to ponder Kreacher's strange words, because she had to shoot curses and jinxes at the Death Eaters who continued to stream into the Hall. It was clear the Death Eaters were severely outnumbered as wave upon wave of wizards, centaurs, and elves fell upon them.

After Stunning a Death Eater, Anna backed into the wall in an attempt to make sense of the madness going on around her; trying to find another target. Voldemort was in the center of the Hall dueling McGonagall, Slughorn, and Kingsley at once; Fred and George were slamming Yaxley to the floor; Flitwick was taking down Dolohov; Ron and Neville were taking down Fenrir Greyback; Sirius and Wren were dueling Rodolphus Lestrange…

And then, Anna's eyes found a moving target. Someone was weaving through the crowd, trying to get to the door of the Great Hall. Jaw set with determination, Anna ran across the space, dipping and dodging curses until she raced out the door and into the Entrance Hall on the man's heels.

 _"Stupefy!"_ Anna screamed. Her spell missed him by an inch, but it caused the man to turn and face her with an ugly snarl.

Marcus Flint shot the Cruciatus Curse at Anna, which she dodged.

"I see you broke free of my Imperius Curse." he taunted. "Kill any redheads while I was away?"

Anna didn't justify his taunt with a response, just fought harder to take him down, once and for all.

"Too bad we never got the chance to repeat that day in the supply shed." Flint continued to taunt. "As much as you denied it, I know you loved it."

Anna could feel her hair turning crimson as rage burned through her veins.

 _"Stupefy! Expelliarmus!"_ she screamed. Her first spell was deflected, but the second hit Flint and caused his wand to fly straight into Anna's free hand. As Anna caught it, she yelled, _"Petrificus Totalus!"_

Flint's arms and legs stuck together stiff as a board and he fell back, his body hitting the stone floor with a dull thud.

Breathing heavily, Anna slowly approached him, walking to his side so that she could look down at his ugly face. His eyes moved about before staring up at her, rage and a little fear in his gray eyes.

A calm swept over her, now that she wasn't fighting for her life.

"Some might say I should kill you." she said quietly, speaking more to herself. She wasn't completely sure if he could hear her. "But I don't want revenge for what you did to me. Not anymore. I want _justice_. I want you to rot in Azkaban, for being a Death Eater, and for what you did to me all those years ago."

That being said, Anna waved her wand. A rope shot from her wand and wrapped tightly around Flint's midsection. The rope then hoisted him up until he hung upside-down from the ceiling of the Entrance Hall. Anna stared up at him for a couple seconds, figuring he'd be secure there long enough so that he could be collected and taken to Azkaban when everything was finished-assuming the right side won. She turned away, telling herself to prepare herself to go back into the battle.

But then she paused. It was quiet. _Too_ quiet. The chaos and screams of battle that'd been coming from the Great Hall had gone silent. As she strained to listen, her eyes fixed on the open door of the Great Hall, all Anna could hear was a couple quiet voices.

Moving cautiously toward the open door, Anna held her wand out, just in case. She moved toward the wall just beside the door, putting her back to the wall before carefully peaking around the corner.

All the fighting had stopped. Everyone was standing, frozen, as they watched two people who were circling each other like caged tigers. Anna's breath caught in her throat before she slowly stepped into the Great Hall to get a closer look.

Harry and Voldemort moved slowly, walking in a circle as everyone watched while giving them space. Harry was speaking to Voldemort, though Anna had no clue what he was saying. At the same moment the rising sun sent a red glow through the nearest window, Voldemort and Harry suddenly shouted spells.

 _"Avada Kedavra!"_

 _"Expelliarmus!"_

The spells met in the middle with a bang and burst of flame. Voldemort's wand flew through the air and into Harry's free hand while Voldemort's body fell to the ground, stiff and lifeless.

There was a moment of shocked silence until it was broken by cheers and screams. Everyone converged upon Harry like a wave. Anna could barely make out the occasional familiar face as they all gathered in the biggest group hug in history.

Part of Anna wanted to join in the celebration, but a bigger part was just exhausted. She leaned back against the nearest wall, slipping her wand into her back pocket. She covered her face with her hands, feeling as if the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders.

It was over. It was finally over. Voldemort was dead, his Death Eaters would be rounded up and arrested, and her child would be brought into a world of peace and safety. It would take a while for the grief to pass; they would always remember those who had died during this war, but they would not die in vain.

Taking a deep breath, Anna pulled her hands from her face and stood up straight. Exhaustion made her legs shake, but she forced herself to move toward the crowd that was starting to break up into smaller groups. Any remaining Death Eaters were fleeing, but several people were pursuing them.

Spotting her parents, Anna changed her course to reach them. Her mother pulled her into a tight hug, and Sirius wrapped them both in his longer arms, holding the three of them together. After several moments, they pulled away.

Anna was moved around the crowded Great Hall, hugging people here and there, though her heart wasn't in it. She wanted Fred. She wanted to find Fred and tell him about the baby.

Finally, she found a familiar mass of redheads. The Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were standing in the middle of the Great Hall, talking excitedly and exchanging hugs. Anna hurried over to them, a smile stretching over her cheeks.

George saw her first and swept her up in a hug, spinning her in a circle that made her laugh as she clung to him.

"Now you and Freddie have to get married for real." George told her with a grin as he set her back on her feet. He grinned down at her.

Anna laughed, glancing over at Fred, who was laughing with Bill. "Yeah, I guess so."

Charlie moved around George and pulled Anna into another hug. "Excited to be a Weasley?" he asked playfully, pulling back and ruffling her hair.

Anna smiled, though they didn't know she was also smiling because she would be bringing a new Weasley into the world. "You have no idea."

She exchanged hugs with Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Molly before moving to Fred's side and wrapping an arm around his back. Fred easily dropped his arm over her back in return, giving her a grin.

"Can we go for a walk?" she asked quietly, looking up at him with a small, warm smile. Fred leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Absolutely." he agreed. He quickly told George where they were going before they moved across the Great Hall. As they passed, she heard someone saying that Kingsley Shacklebolt would be stepping in as a temporary Minister. Voldemort's body was moved off to the far corner of the Hall, out of everyone's way. McGonagall was returning the four House tables to their places, careful not to put them down on top of anyone.

Anna let Fred lead, holding his hand tightly in hers, not ready to let him go anytime soon.

When they entered the entrance hall, they both looked over to see a couple wizards looking up at Flint's frozen body. Fred snorted as they paused by the pair. One of the older wizards, a middle-aged man with graying black hair, looked over at them.

"Either of you know if he's on our side or the Death Eaters?" he asked. "We're rounding up as many Death Eaters as we can so we can get them locked up in Azkaban."

"We just sent word a minute ago to release all the innocent people locked up there." the younger wizard, about 18, announced excitedly.

"He's a Death Eater." Anna informed them with a disgusted look up at Flint. "His name's Marcus Flint. I'm the one who put him up there."

Fred laughed loudly, looking down at her. "Oh, I love you! You are brilliant!" he exclaimed, letting go of her hand to pull her tight to his side. Anna blushed, but beamed proudly. She'd finally got the best of Marcus Flint.

The older wizard smirked at her. "Good job. I'll personally make sure he's put in a cell in Azkaban."

"Thank you." Anna told him gratefully before she followed Fred up the stairs and down a corridor of the castle. They walked for a while, and Anna found herself looking out the windows as they passed. The sun was rising over the distant horizon, dawning on a new day, and a hopeful future.

Eventually, Fred chose a bench against the wall and sat down. Anna sat next to him, still holding his hand tightly.

"So, why do I get the sense that this is about something specific, and not just a walk?" Fred asked, looking down at her.

Anna nodded, looking down at her lap. "It feels like forever ago, but…you remember last night? I said I needed to tell you something?"

Fred's eyes lit up in understanding. "That's right. I almost forgot about that. So, what did you need to tell me?"

Anna bit her lip, glancing up at him. "Remember how I said I went to Flourish and Blotts?"

Fred nodded, looking confused. "Yeah. You said you needed to research something."

Anna nodded, smiling at him. This news seemed so much happier now that the future was brighter. "I…suspected something, and I wanted to find out without telling anyone, just in case. I found a spell in one of the books that would give me the answer I was looking for."

Fred's brows were furrowed in confusion, and Anna knew she wasn't really making much sense. But she hoped Fred would understand when she showed him.

"If my wand glows light green, it's positive; if it's white, it's negative."

Fred still looked confused as he watched her pull out her wand. Anna took a deep breath before moving her wand in a circle around her bellybutton.

 _"Gravidam."_

There was a second of stillness before her wand glowed light green. Anna smiled at her belly before looking up at Fred. He was also staring at her belly, his brows no longer furrowed, and his brown eyes slightly wide. As if feeling her gaze on him, he looked up and met her eyes.

"It's positive." he whispered, his eyes searching hers. Anna nodded, smiling softly. "You're…" Fred trailed off.

"Pregnant." Anna finished, hoping she was right in expecting him to be happy. When he stared at her in silence, she started to worry. Her brows furrowed in concern and she dropped her eyes, putting her wand away.

"I-"

She was cut off by Fred suddenly pulling her into his chest. He cradled her close to him, holding her tightly yet gently.

"I love you." he murmured thickly, pressing kisses to the side of her head.

Anna breathed a sigh of relief, melting into him and wrapping her arms around his back. "So, you're happy?" she checked.

"Of course I'm happy!" Fred laughed at the very absurdity of the question. After a moment, he pulled back and looked worriedly down at her. "Are you _not_ happy?"

Anna smiled sadly. "At first, I wasn't sure. I mean, when I found out yesterday, we were in the middle of a war. I was scared about raising a baby in a war, especially while we were in hiding and wanted by so many evil people. But now…" Anna trailed off, smiling warmly up at him. "Now we don't have to worry about that."

Fred smiled, tucking hair behind her ear. "That's true." His smile faltered then. "Why did you come to fight, knowing you were pregnant?" he suddenly demanded. "The baby-"

"I couldn't just stay behind, Fred." Anna argued. "Besides, if I decided to stay behind, you all would've wondered why. And I couldn't just tell you about the baby going into the fight. You wouldn't have been able to focus."

"But what if you'd lost the baby?" Fred asked. "What if you'd gotten hurt and-"

"But I didn't." Anna pointed out. "The baby's fine, best I can tell. Although," she added, looking down at her lap, "maybe I should have stayed behind. Then I wouldn't have almost killed you."

Fred sighed heavily. "Anna…" He trailed off before pulling her into a tight hug. "Forget I said anything. You didn't get hurt, and the baby's fine. 'What if's are stupid anyway. And _Flint_ is going to Azkaban for almost killing me, and probably a hundred other crimes. Everything is going to be just fine. But you are taking it _extremely_ easy the rest of this pregnancy."

Anna nodded, relaxing again as she thought about the future. A future with Fred as her husband, and a happy baby, probably with red hair, growing up in a safe world.

XXX

Anna fell back onto Fred's bed, instantly curling up and hugging one of the pillows to her face. Due to her spending so many nights there in the past couple weeks, one pillow had a perfect mix of her and Fred's scents. That particular scent had been a surprising help with her morning sickness recently. Another saving grace in that department was peppermint tea with her breakfast each morning, which was bittersweet as Dora had been the one to tell Anna about that months ago. Without it, Anna was sure she'd be puking every morning instead of every other morning.

Fred entered the bedroom just then, wearing a t-shirt and boxers. He crawled into bed next to her and after some shifting around, they ended up on their sides with Fred spooned in behind Anna. One hand was rested protectively on Anna's belly, and his face was buried in her hair.

Anna had been going back and forth between staying at home with her family, and staying at the flat with the twins. The Black family's three bedroom cottage had been pretty crowded since the final battle. Harry had come to live with the Blacks for a while and was sharing a room with Aslan, who was over the moon to have both Harry and Anna back. Especially as Anna had returned his favorite blanket to him. And due to Sirius and Wren being Teddy's godparents, they'd been given full custody of the little baby, who slept in Anna's room. Andromeda visited and helped out frequently, which was helpful considering most of the household had fulltime jobs now.

Harry and Sirius had both been made Aurors and were helping round up the last of the Death Eaters. Umbridge had been one of the first to be thrown behind bars, and Anna's boss had begged her to come back to work. The Investigation Department was incredibly busy, making sure to investigate every arrest to ensure the right people were going to Azkaban and no one was getting off like the last war. Her boss sweetened the deal by offering to pay her overtime. And of course, Wren's job at the Department of Security was being flooded with work.

The whole wizarding world was putting itself back together. Fred and George had been fixing their shop back up and were getting ready to reopen within the next few weeks. Anna wasn't allowed to help as often or with big jobs, because Fred didn't want her to overwork herself. They hadn't told anyone other than George about the baby. They wanted to wait a little while. George was thrilled and loved to make jokes about how fertile Weasleys were.

Anna was roused from her sleepy thoughts when she realized her neck was wet. Turning her head, she shifted slightly away from Fred to turn over.

"Fred?" she whispered, trying to see his face. He pulled back and looked at her, his cheek resting on his pillow. His eyes were red and glistening with tears. Anna completely turned over to face him, resting a hand on his cheek. Her thumb swiped a stray tear from his cheek. She didn't need to ask what was wrong. It'd been a long day for everyone.

The war ending had not brought only cheerful news. There had been many funerals to plan and attend. They'd already attended Katie's, Lee's, and Remus and Dora's in the past week. Today had been Percy's funeral.

"Do you need me to get you anything?" Anna whispered, keeping her hand on Fred's cheek as she searched his eyes.

Fred shook his head and pulled her close to him.

"I shouldn't have been so mean to him." Fred whispered, his voice thick. "Our whole life, all I ever did was prank him and pick on him."

"It was all in good fun, Fred. Percy knew that." Anna assured him gently, running a hand through his short, ginger hair. "He loved you and George and your whole family. He regretted turning his back on all of you. You know that."

Fred nodded slowly, knowing she was right. His grief was just causing him to blame himself.

They laid in silence for a little while, Fred's face buried in Anna's neck while she held him close, comforting him in his grief. It was a nice change, in Anna's mind. Fred was almost always comforting her instead of the other way around. Especially since the war, as Anna occasionally had nightmares where she killed Fred while under the Imperius Curse. She was working on not blaming herself, because she knew it wasn't healthy, but that didn't mean it wouldn't haunt her for a while.

"Fred?" Anna breathed in the silence. Fred hummed against her neck, which tickled slightly though Anna didn't comment on that. "If…if we have a boy…would you want to name him after Percy?" she asked hesitantly.

Fred was still and silent for a few moments before slowly pulling away and looking at her thoughtfully. His eyes narrowed slightly as he seriously put thought into her question. Finally, after a few moments, he spoke.

"I love Percy…but I don't think I'd want to put my son through the torment of having that name." he answered jokingly, a small smile tugging at his lips. Anna lightly smacked his chest, smiling in return. "But it's a nice thought. Thank you for asking." Fred added sincerely, leaning down and kissing her forehead.

Anna smiled, unconsciously leaning forward into him.

"You should be sleeping." Fred said quietly after a while. "I'm sorry I'm keeping you up."

"Don't be." Anna whispered back, snuggling into his chest. "We needed this."

"Yeah. But we have an early morning and a big day. If you get tired, make sure to let me know." Fred ordered gently. The following day, Sunday, would be starting with Anna helping the twins continue working on the joke shop. Then, in the afternoon they had scheduled a meeting with a real estate wizard to look at a few houses. In their limited spare time, Anna and Fred had been looking for a house to buy.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Yes, Fred." she obeyed mockingly. Fred scrunched up his nose at her before rolling onto his back and pulling her onto his chest. He rested his other hand on her stomach and kissed the top of her head.

"Goodnight." he breathed into her hair, rubbing her back with his other hand.

"Goodnight."

XXX

Anna knocked quickly on the front door of her parents' cottage before letting herself and Fred in. The first person she saw was her mother, sitting on the living room couch feeding two month old Teddy a bottle of milk.

"Hi, Mum." Anna smiled.

"Hi, Anna. Hi, Fred. How's the shop doing?" Wren asked kindly. After they finished fixing up the joke shop, Fred and George reopened the shop near the end of May.

"Better than ever, thanks." Fred answered with a grin.

"Anna!" Aslan came racing from the kitchen, his hands in the air in a silent demand that his sister pick him up. Anna laughed gently as she obliged, setting him on her hip. Sirius followed his son from the kitchen, carrying a bottle of butterbeer.

"Anna, Fred. How's your day been?" Sirius greeted them both with a smile.

"Busy." Anna answered with a slight laugh. She'd got off work a couple hours prior and met Fred at the shop; as she'd stayed at the flat the past few nights to get in some last minute wedding planning.

"Are you hungry? We have a bit left over from dinner." Wren told them, nodding toward the kitchen.

"No, we just ate, but thank you." Fred told her. "We actually stopped by because we have something we need to tell you." he admitted, trying not to sound nervous.

Sirius and Wren exchanged a glance.

"Alright, let me just put Teddy down. Aslan, why don't we go upstairs and you can draw a picture for Dromeda?" Wren suggested. Anna set Aslan on the ground and her brother excitedly scurried on up the stairs. Wren followed him more slowly, patting Teddy's back as she went.

"Either of you want something to drink?" Sirius offered. "We've got firewhiskey, butterbeer, pumpkin juice,…"

"I'll have a butterbeer, thanks." Fred answered.

"Um, I'm good. But thanks, Dad." Anna answered, knowing she couldn't drink anything alcoholic, and she also didn't want to have to pee in a few minutes. Being pregnant, even in the early stages, seemed to have shrunk her bladder or something.

Sirius got Fred his butterbeer, and all three of them sat around the living room; Fred and Anna on the couch and Sirius in an armchair. When Wren returned, she sat on the couch on Anna's other side, closest to Sirius's armchair.

"So, what's going on?" Wren asked, looking between Fred and Anna curiously. "Is it something to do with the wedding?" The wedding was set to happen in the next week, near the end of June.

"Um, sort of." Anna answered, taking Fred's hand in hers. "We have some news that we're going to announce at the reception."

"But we figured it'd be better to tell you both in person." Fred finished. "Out of respect for you both."

Truthfully, they were worried about Sirius getting angry and didn't want that to happen at the wedding.

Wren smiled, glancing between them. "Well, thank you for the consideration. What is this announcement?"

Anna glanced at Fred with a smile before turning back to her parents, meeting both their eyes in turn. "Fred and I are having a baby." she admitted, trying to hide her nerves.

Wren's face lit up and she yanked Anna into a tight hug. "Oh, that's wonderful, darling! Congratulations!"

Anna released a breath, squeezing her mother back just as tightly. After a second, she looked over her mum's shoulder at her dad, who was watching them with a blank expression. And with that, Anna's nerves returned. Pulling away from her mother, Anna offered her a small smile before looking at her father.

"Dad?" she asked uncertainly.

Sirius looked over at Fred, his expression still blank.

"You got my daughter pregnant?" he said, his tone unreadable.

Fred returned the look carefully. "Technically, after we got married. And we both have successful careers ahead of us. The shop's successful enough I could take care of Anna if she wanted to quit her job. You know I'll take care of and love her and our child."

Sirius nodded slowly, though his expression was still unreadable.

"Sirius, you're going to be a grandpa." Wren pointed out with an amused smile.

Sirius glanced at his wife, and Anna thought there might have been a glimmer of amusement in his gray eyes, before he looked back at Fred and stood up. Fred also stood up, and Anna followed suit, nervous about what was going to happen.

Sirius stared at Fred for another long moment before he smiled and offered his hand. Fred relaxed, a smile spreading across his face as he took Sirius's hand and shook it.

When Sirius released him he grinned happily at his daughter, pulling her into a tight hug. "Congratulations."

Anna buried her face in her father's chest, tears pricking her eyes. "Thanks, Daddy."

XXX

"Ready to marry my brother?" Ginny asked with a smirk as she fixed Anna's hair. "Again?"

Anna laughed nervously. "Yeah. If I don't pass out first. Or puke again."

"Oh, you'll be fine." Ginny assured her, stepping back after she was satisfied with Anna's hair.

Her dark brown hair was curled into ringlets, and the pieces by her face were pulled back from her face and clipped at the back of her head. She was dressed in a loose fitting set of white dress robes with a sweetheart neckline and short sleeves. The dress did a fairly decent job of hiding her three-month baby bump, which was a tiny bit bigger than she'd expected it to be. George had been relentlessly teasing her about it probably being twins.

Anna and Ginny were currently in the Weasley's garden, surrounded by Anna's bridesmaids: Hermione, Angelina, Alicia, and Fleur.

Footsteps approaching from the direction of the orchard behind the Burrow caused the girls to turn to see who was approaching. Sirius arrived carrying Aslan, both dressed in simple, black dress robes.

"We're ready whenever you are." Sirius announced, smiling warmly. It was a very nice change considering how down he'd been since Remus's death and funeral.

Anna took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Okay. Okay, yeah, I think we're ready."

"If the bride doesn't pass out." Angelina joked lightly.

"You were not this nervous the first time." Ginny pointed out, amused. "I still can't believe you were so nervous this morning, you threw up."

"The first time was in front of a handful of people." Anna pointed out, omitting the fact that the puking was most likely due to morning sickness. "This time there are a lot more people, who will see if I fall flat on my face."

"Come on, we won't let you fall. Will we, Aslan?" Sirius joked, bouncing his son lightly on his hip.

"Yeah!" Aslan exclaimed, throwing a fist in the air and causing the others to laugh.

"Alright, so, if we're ready…" Ginny trailed off questioningly, to which the others nodded, "let's get this party started."

Ginny took the lead and began the steady walk across the grass and toward the thick orchard of apple trees. Hermione, Angelina, Alicia, and Fleur all followed in turn, each carrying a small, white bouquet of oriental lilies and tulips.

Anna had to sacrifice the ability to carry her own bouquet of her favorite flowers, because both of her hands would be occupied during the wedding.

Sirius set Aslan on the ground and knelt in front of him.

"Okay, remember what we talked about, Aslan? You and me are going to hold Anna's hand, and take her to Fred in the orchard. Just like we practiced. Okay?"

"Okay!" Aslan agreed excitedly. He hurried to Anna's side and took her left hand in his little one. Sirius stood up straight and offered his arm. Anna slid her right hand into the crook of his elbow, smiling happily up at him.

"You ready for this?" Sirius joked. "It's not too late to change your mind."

"It's a _little_ too late." Anna joked back, referring to the baby in her womb. "But I wouldn't change my mind either way."

"Good." Sirius gave a small, satisfied smile before leading her across the yard toward the orchard.

They were out of sight of the wedding guests until they rounded one large tree and entered the large orchard. By then, every head in the crowd was turned back to look at them.

Anna took a steadying breath, trying not to focus on the dozens of pairs of eyes fixed on her. Her and Fred had agreed to a small wedding, but while making up the guest list they kept thinking of people that they just _had_ to invite, and soon the guest list totaled up to around 90.

Hagrid took up a large chair in the back row, which also consisted of people from Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix. People like Neville, Seamus Finnigan, Luna, and Dean Thomas. Oliver Wood sat with them. Farther up were some of Anna and Fred's favorite teachers like McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout. Several Weasleys and Prewetts sat on one side, including Muriel, Arthur's brothers, and some of Fred's grandparents and cousins. On the other side were people from Anna's family, mainly consisting of her aunt Kendra, her husband Colton, and their children Audra and Wilson.

Andromeda was sitting in the second row holding a baby Teddy, and Wren sat just in front of her with Molly and Arthur.

Finally, standing up front included Anna's bridesmaids: Ginny was closest to the middle as the Maid of Honor, and next to her were Hermione, Angelina, Alicia, and Fleur, who was just reaching her place as Anna and Sirius entered the orchard. Kingsley was standing in the middle, as the new Minister and family friend was marrying Anna and Fred.

The Groom, of course, was standing just next to Kingsley; Fred was beaming at Anna, looking even happier than the first time they got married. Next to him, of course, was his Best Man George. Next to George were the Groomsmen: Charlie, Ron, Harry, and Bill.

The wedding party was standing under a pair of trees in the orchard which, like all the trees in the orchard, had blossomed with pinkish-white flowers. Some of the petals had already fallen and decorated the ground. It was one of the reasons they'd chosen the orchard for this time of year. They hardly had to decorate when nature provided the most beautiful decorations on it's own.

Anna managed to remain calm as she walked down the isle. Aslan was practically hopping along at her side, causing quite a few people to chuckle or 'aw'. Finally, the trio reached the front of the isle, stopping in front of Kingsley and Fred.

"Who gives this young woman away?" Kingsley asked warmly.

"Her mother and I do." Sirius answered.

"And me!" Aslan shouted, making several people, Anna included, laugh. Kingsley couldn't help a chuckle, as well.

Sirius shook Fred's hand, giving him a nod before he passed Anna's hand to Fred's. Aslan also released his sister's hand, and Sirius and Aslan moved to sit in the front row with Wren.

Anna smiled warmly up at Fred, who returned it as he took both her hands in his as he pulled her closer to face him. "You look beautiful." he whispered almost silently.

Anna mouthed 'thank you'.

Kingsley performed the ceremony very similar to how Arthur had originally, though with a few changes considering the unique circumstances. Fred and Anna re-placed their wedding rings on each other's fingers, having removed them the night before. They said vows and repeated some of Kingsley's words. Since they were magically married, Kingsley didn't need to perform the spell Arthur had. They would be signing the legal paperwork between the ceremony and the reception.

Finally, Kingsley said the words Fred was probably looking forward to through the whole service.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Thankfully, Fred was nicer than their last wedding, and gave Anna a short, sweet peck as opposed to snogging her in front of so many people.

Anna and Fred returned to the Burrow with Kingsley to sign the official papers that named them as husband and wife, and by the time they'd returned to the orchard the chairs had been moved to several round tables. One long table off to the side had food and drinks, provided by Molly, Andromeda, and Wren. A table at the far side of the orchard already seated most of the wedding party, where Fred and Anna were supposed to sit. A large space in the middle of the orchard was left bare for a dance floor and soft music was already playing.

Anna took a sip of her pumpkin juice to wash down the simple roast beef she'd been carefully nibbling on. She didn't feel nauseous at the moment, but she didn't want to push her luck. Running off to throw up at her wedding would be just a little awful.

An arm appeared over the back of Anna's chair and she glanced over at her husband curiously, giving him a smile when she saw him already watching her. Fred leaned down so he could talk near her ear.

"Should we make our announcement?" he asked quietly.

Anna glanced out toward the rest of their guests. Most people were still eating, and the few people who were already done were moving around and talking to people. They'd be having the dances soon.

Anna turned her smile back toward Fred. "Yeah, now's a good time."

Fred kissed her cheek before standing up. He lifted his goblet of champagne and tapped it with his fork.

"Excuse me! We have an announcement to make!" Fred called over the hum of voices. Everyone quieted down and every eye turned to look at him. Fred held his glass up with one hand, his other resting around Anna's shoulders where she was sitting at his side.

"Thank you all for being here to celebrate with us. Anna and I greatly appreciate it. After everything we've _all_ been through, a good celebration and party was just what everyone needed.

"That being said, we have a pretty big announcement." Fred continued.

Anna looked out over the guests, everyone watching curiously. The only people who weren't curious was George, Sirius, and Wren, who all knew what Fred was about to say.

"As most of you know, Anna and I technically got married back in March, while we were in hiding. So, no one can get mad at me for this announcement, because Anna and I were technically married." Anna ducked her head, both in embarrassment and amusement. She could tell George was laughing, too. Fred remained quiet for a few seconds for dramatic effect before shouting, "Anna and I are having a baby!"

There were a few shrieks, mainly from Molly and Ginny, before several people swarmed across the orchard. Anna stood up as people crowded around them. Molly shoved everyone out of her way to hug Anna to death.

"Oh, sweetie, this is amazing!" Molly shrieked. "I'm going to be a grandma! Oh, Fred!" Molly quickly moved over to hug Fred, too. Anna laughed when Fred rolled his eyes, but he was grinning happily.

George nearly lifted Anna off her feet when he hugged her even though he'd already known. "You excited to give me twin nephews?" George smirked deviously.

"Stop! You're going to jinx it!" Anna protested, though she was laughing.

" _Is_ it twins?" Ginny demanded, shoving through her brothers to hug Anna. "Do you know what it is?"

Anna laughed. "No, we don't know yet. We have an appointment at St. Mungo's set for after our honeymoon, and we might be able to find out then."

"How far along are you?" Angelina asked, having stood up and was waiting her turn to congratulate her friends.

"Three months." Fred answered, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Ooh, a wedding night baby?" Ginny teased deviously. Anna lightly shoved her and then smacked Fred on the shoulder.

"Shut up, both of you." she laughed, her face turning red.

"Shouldn't be that much of a surprise." Charlie cut in, having joined the group with Bill. "We Weasleys are a fertile breed." he teased, leaning down and hugging Anna tightly.

"So I've heard." Anna commented dryly, rolling her eyes. Bill laughed and hugged her when Charlie released her. Harry stepped in next with Hermione to offered their own hugs and congratulations.

A few more people stepped in to offer their congratulations. After a few minutes, Fred looked at Charlie.

"Should I tell everyone that other surprise while we have everyone's attention, or should I wait and tell Anna later?" Fred asked his older brother playfully. Anna looked between them curiously.

Charlie hummed, pretending to think. "You might want to wait until later. It's really more of a surprise for Anna."

"What surprise?" Anna demanded, looking between them.

"Are you sure you want to know now?" Fred asked, mostly to mess with her.

"Yes!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, alright." Fred cleared his throat. "I have one more thing to announce, since my lovely wife is too impatient to wait for her surprise!" he called for everyone to hear. Everyone quieted again, listening intently. Fred turned to Anna, speaking to her even though everyone was listening.

"You remember that house we were looking to buy? The one with the big property and a barn and shed that the real estate wizard said we might not be able to buy because someone else was also looking at it?"

"Yes." Anna answered warily, hoping she knew where this was going.

"Well, don't freak out, because I have multiple surprises." Fred ordered before continuing. "He owled me the other day and said…we got the house. I'm not done!" he added when Anna's mouth fell open excitedly. "For our honeymoon, we'll be staying tonight at our new home, and tomorrow…we will be starting our official honeymoon in Romania. And Charlie expects us to visit him at least a couple times while we're there. Okay, _now_ you may freak out."

Anna gaped at him for a second. "Are you serious?!" she squealed.

"No, Sirius is your dad." Fred joked, causing several people to laugh.

Anna swatted him but then leapt into his arms for a tight hug. "I love you, I love you, I love you!" she squealed, her arms around his neck as he lifted her toes off the ground.

"Hey, what about me?" Charlie complained. "I'm helping pay for this honeymoon of yours. Don't I get a thank you?" He barely got the words out before Anna released Fred and leapt on him, hugging him just as tight.

It took a while, but everyone eventually settled down and returned to their seats, watching as Fred pulled Anna onto the dance floor for their first dance as a married couple.

"So, a week in Romania, huh?" Anna asked lightly as they swayed to the slow music. Everyone was watching them, which made Anna mildly self-conscious, but she tried to ignore it as she had a quiet conversation with her husband.

"Yep. One whole week in Romania." Fred nodded, grinning proudly at his idea.

"Am I allowed to know any details?" Anna urged curiously.

"Hmm. Well, we'll be staying in a small cabin, and we'll visit a few places. Charlie obviously offered to show us around the dragon reserve and a few other places, and we can stay with him for a bit if we want. Other than that, you'll just have to wait and see." Fred told her.

"And who's going to help George out with the shop while we're gone?" Anna asked curiously. "And what about my job? I didn't ask for any time off."

"That's okay. I owled your boss and got the time off for you." Fred told her with a grin. "As for the shop, Verity's back and wanting a bit of overtime to help her family, and Ginny wanted a summer job so we've been training her for a few days. The shop will be just fine."

Anna smiled. "Now, here's hoping my morning sickness cooperates while we're there."

"Yeah, that would be nice." Fred agreed lightly. "Oh, and I have told you yet how beautiful you are?"

Anna couldn't stifle her smile. "A few times. But you can say it again if you want."

"You are the most beautiful woman here." Fred told her quietly, kissing her forehead.

When the song ended, most of the guests swarmed the dance floor to join them. Anna had to take a turn with nearly all her brother-in-laws as well as Harry, her dad, and Arthur. Anna went around catching up with her old teachers and friends. Aslan had a fun time playing with his cousins Audra and Wilson. The three even gave Wren and Andromeda a break by watching Teddy once in a while, though 14 year old Audra was the one more-trustworthy to watch the baby.

Eventually, Anna had to return to her seat, too winded with aching feet to keep dancing. Of course, given she wasn't doing much, she offered to watch Teddy for a bit while she rested her feet, giving everyone else a chance to have some fun.

Sitting back slightly in her seat, Anna held baby Teddy in the cradle of her arms. She kept glancing between the guests and the baby. Guests were doing anything from enjoying drinks, nibbling on more food, dancing, or talking among themselves. Fred and George were entertaining the kids.

Teddy was blinking sleepily up at Anna, his eyes temporarily a bright blue. His hair was dark and very curly, probably an imitation of Sirius's hair. Anna smiled down at him, imagining what it would be like to hold her own baby, something she often thought of when holding Teddy.

"Having fun over here?" a familiar voice asked as Fred sat in the chair next to hers.

"Yep." Anna smiled at him.

Fred smiled in return, looking down at the baby in her arms. He reached out and offered his finger to the baby's tiny fist, and Teddy grabbed it, his grip tight despite his tired state. "Hi, Baby Moony." Fred whispered lightly.

Anna rolled her eyes. "If he's Baby Moony, and Aslan is Baby Padfoot, what are you going to call our kid?"

Fred tilted his head thoughtfully. "Padfoot the Third?" he joked. Anna laughed, shaking her head in amusement. "You excited to start our life?"

Anna smiled, once more looking out over the crowd of guests. It was such a peaceful and happy time, so very different from a couple months ago. In moments like this, the war was almost like a dark, fading memory, or a nightmare that never really happened. The future may not be all rainbows and sunshine, but if they could get through the war, they could handle anything.

Anna smiled over at Fred, who was waiting patiently for her answer.

"You have no idea."

 **XXX**

 **Oh my gosh! We're almost done! Next is the epilogue!**

 **Please review to let me know what you all thought!**


	33. Epilogue: 17 yrs later (2015)

"You should start off your 7th year with turquoise hair like you had when you were little." Anna teased, reaching up to ruffle 17 year old Teddy's sandy-blonde hair. Teddy ducked away from her reach, laughing good-naturedly as he ran a hand through his hair to fix it.

"Yeah, that'll make a great impression." he agreed sarcastically. "First Hogwarts Head Boy with turquoise hair. Maybe I'll start a trend."

Another familiar laugh joined theirs as Aslan appeared at Teddy's side. "You should do it, Ted. Girls like a bad boy, and nothing says bad boy more than blue hair."

At twenty years old, Aslan had been out of school for a couple years. A Gryffindor, he was every bit like their father in looks as well as attitude. His black hair was longish and messy, his green eyes one of the only traits he got from Wren. He was naturally intelligent, confident bordering on arrogant, had several girlfriends over the past several years, and was in training to become an Auror like his dad and Harry.

"You can continue being the bad boy in the family." Teddy retorted, jabbing his elbow into Aslan's ribs. "I'm more of a one-woman kinda guy." he added a bit more quietly, looking distractedly across the living room of the Burrow. Anna followed his gaze and smiled.

"Don't let Bill catch you staring." Anna joked quietly, knowing her oldest brother-in-law had super hearing since his werewolf attack. Teddy was currently staring at Bill's oldest daughter Victoire, who was talking with Charlie's wife Nina. A couple years younger than Teddy, she'd been sorted into Gryffindor and took after her mother in beauty. Her and Teddy had started dating the year before, which Bill and a few of his brothers had not been pleased with since they considered her to be too young to be dating.

Aslan clapped a hand on his best friend/godbrother's shoulder. "Come on, lover boy. Let's go get some of Molly's cake." With that, the two headed off for the kitchen, leaving Anna shaking her head at them.

"What are Double Trouble up to?" Charlie asked teasingly as he approached, carrying a six year old little girl with red hair and big, blue eyes.

"We were just talking about Teddy being Head Boy." Anna summed up before smiling sweetly at the little girl. Opal, Charlie's daughter, was so far the youngest Weasley cousin in the family, a few months younger than Hermione and Ron's son Hugo.

"I still can't believe Ted got Head Boy." Charlie said with a shake of his head. "With all the trouble he got up to with Aslan. Not to mention Gideon and Fabian. It was almost like a second generation of Marauders in Hogwarts for a few years. I'm surprised McGonagall hasn't retired yet."

"I guess Teddy took after Remus more than Tonks." Anna noted, remembering how Remus had been made Prefect in school, if not Head Boy.

At that moment an 8 year old boy with brown hair and hazel eyes came running over. He then began tugging on Charlie's shirt. "Dad! James is saying he's going to be Seeker like his dad! But if he's Seeker, I won't be able to be Seeker when I go to Hogwarts!"

Charlie glanced his Anna, his blue eyes bright with amusement before he looked down at his son. "Well, you'll just have to prove him wrong when you get to Hogwarts, alright Drake? Don't worry, you've got a few years before you start school. We'll practice plenty until then, okay?"

"Okay!" Drake lit up and hurried back over to the small group of kids consisting of Harry and Ginny's 11 year old son James, George and Angelina's 11 year old daughter Roxanne, and Ron and Hermione's 9 year old daughter Rose.

"My dad's going to help me practice so I can beat you at Quidditch tryouts!" he exclaimed for the whole room to hear.

Anna and Charlie both laughed, shaking their heads in amusement. What added to the amusement was that, while James enjoyed playing Quidditch, he much preferred getting into the same kind of mischief as his namesake. James Arthur Potter, named for both his grandfathers, was as much of a prankster and troublemaker as the Marauders and Fred and George. This was probably why Fred and George were his favorite uncles, and why he was always stealing the Marauder's Map from Harry's desk.

"On a different note," Charlie turned back to Anna, "do you need me to stop by tomorrow morning before King's Cross? Feed the animals or check up on anyone?"

Less then 10 years before, Charlie had gotten into a pretty serious dragon-related incident. When he woke up after nearly dying, it'd been to the sight of one of the reserve's Healers, Nina, tending to him. An instant passion sparked between the two, and after a short courtship of a handful of months, they got married, Nina got pregnant, and they gave birth to their first child, Drake, in 2007. Opal came a couple years later. Of course, Charlie wouldn't be Charlie if his kids' names weren't dragon-inspired. The name Drake means 'dragon'. Opal was named after the Antipodean Opaleye, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful and unique dragons. That name had been suggested by Nina, who knew her husband would want to name their daughter something dragon-related.

Unfortunately, Charlie's injury was more serious than they liked to admit. It took it a while to fully recover, but even then working closely with dragons was out of the question. Charlie and Nina tried staying in Romania, but eventually moved back to England to be closer to both sides of their families. Before they'd made the move, Anna had approached Charlie asking if he wanted to work with her at the animal sanctuary she ran out of her and Fred's home. Nina got a job as a Healer at St. Mungo's around the same time.

"No, I think I'll be fine tomorrow morning." Anna said in answer to Charlie's question. "If you want to stop by tomorrow afternoon, that'd be great. I need to look at Lightning's leg again, and you know how he gets."

Charlie nodded. "Sure thing."

Charlie's wife, Nina, joined them a moment later and told Charlie his father needed to talk to him. Anna left them be and joined her husband, who was talking with George, Angelina, and Ginny. Their enthusiastic conversation circled around the recent professional Quidditch matches.

While Harry had become an Auror straight after the war, Ginny had become a professional Quidditch player after finishing her seventh year at Hogwarts. Angelina had done the same for a few years, though they were both on different teams. Harry and Ginny got married a few years after the war, and after several years of following their careers, Ginny retired as a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies to have her three kids around 2004, and became the Senior Quidditch correspondent for the _Daily Prophet_.

Angelina, on the other hand, became a professional Chaser for Puddlemere United, the same team as Oliver Wood. Unlike Ginny, however, Angelina hadn't retired to have a family with George. She'd merely taken time off and returned to her position as Chaser when her youngest was a couple years old.

Fred and George, of course, were still running their successful joke shop. It was so successful, in fact, that they'd opened a second location in Hogsmeade like they'd wanted to do before the war. Anna still helped them make products in her spare time, and Ron had joined the business after deciding being an Auror wasn't for him. Aslan and Teddy had also worked at the shops during a couple summer vacations.

"Daddy!" a girl's voice suddenly called over the din of conversation. Fred and Anna glanced over as a 12 year old girl came running up to them. Her red-brown hair flew behind her and her brown eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"What's wrong, Rae?" Fred asked worriedly as his conversation paused.

"Gid and Fabe won't let me help them." Raven pouted. Raven Belle Weasley was Anna and Fred's youngest child.

Anna's gray eyes scanned the crowded Burrow living room until she barely saw her 16 year old twin sons. When her and Fred found out they were having twin boys, Anna claimed George jinxed it.

Gideon Ignatius and Fabian Sirius were sitting in the corner behind a chair with their 13 year old cousin Jordan, George and Angelina's son who'd been named after Lee.

"What won't they let you help with?" Fred asked, kneeling down in front of his daughter.

Raven stepped closer so she could talk quietly to her dad, though Anna was close enough to hear. "They're planning a prank on Uncle Ron and I want to help."

Fred smirked and glanced up at George, who was smirking in return. Looking back at his daughter, Fred asked, "And how were you thinking of helping?"

"I had an idea." Raven stated simply.

"What kind of idea?" Fred asked.

Raven leaned in and whispered something in Fred's ear. Anna watched curiously when she saw Fred quirk an eyebrow and smirk deviously at whatever his daughter was telling him. When Raven leaned back, Fred told her, "Why don't you go tell the twins your idea? I can guarantee you if you tell them your plan they will let you help. And if they don't, you and me can pull your prank on Uncle Ron. Deal?"

Raven beamed. "Deal!" With that, she hurried back across the room to her brothers and cousin. Fred stood up and they all watched as Raven reached the three boys. They looked up when she reached them, and they all exchanged a few words before Raven leaned down and whispered in Gideon's ear, as he was the closest. After a few moments, Anna saw his face light up much in the same way Fred's and George's would. It helped that, with ginger hair and brown eyes, Fabian and Gideon looked very much like their father and Uncle George. Gideon nodded excitedly at Raven, who sat with them so they all grouped together to continue their planning.

"Mission accomplished." Fred noted, putting his arm around Anna's shoulders and pulling her into his side.

"So, how good was her idea?" George asked, grinning deviously.

Fred gave a satisfied sigh. "Let's just say, 'that's my girl'."

Anna, Ang, and Ginny laughed in response.

"Well, it's getting late." Molly called, causing everyone to fall silent. "If everyone wants to get up in time to catch the train tomorrow, we should all be getting some sleep. Anyone who wants to stay the night, of course, is welcome."

"Aw!" Fab, Gid, Raven, and Jordan whined in disappointment.

"Your mum never gives up." Anna whispered playfully as everyone started grouping their kids together to get ready to leave. Fred went and gathered up their kids and their family went through the Floo to their house.

Anna held Raven's hand until she and her daughter were safe out of the Floo without falling.

"Alright, you kids finish up your packing and get to bed." Fred ordered, shooing the kids toward the stairs that lead to the second floor.

"Yes, we're not having a repeat of last year." Anna agreed sternly, heading for the corner of the living room. "If you miss the train tomorrow, you won't be going to Hogwarts."

The three kids raced up the stairs, the pounding of their feet echoing above Anna and Fred's heads.

Anna knelt on the ground by the small shoebox in the living room corner. Inside was a fluffy blanket. Anna lifted part of the blanket to find a tiny puppy sleeping wrapped in the blanket. It was white with flopped ears, brown patches, and a tiny, forked tail.

Tucking the blanket around the tiny Crup puppy, Anna cradled it to her chest and carried it into the kitchen, where she got a tiny bottle of milk from the fridge. Leaning back against the counter, Anna held the bottle up to the puppy's little mouth. She whimpered and stretched out her tiny, pink paws before latching onto the bottle and suckling her milk.

Hearing the floor creak in the kitchen doorway, Anna looked up to see Raven peaking in at her.

"You're supposed to be getting ready for bed, Rae." Anna told her gently.

"I know. I just wanted to check on Clover." Raven answered with an anxious glance at the bundle in her mother's arms. "I can feed her for you. You probably want to check on the other animals before bed."

Anna gave her a patient look. "Raven, I told you naming her isn't a good idea. At least not yet."

"But four-leaf clovers are good luck." Raven protested. "If I name her a lucky name, maybe she'll be okay."

Anna had taken in a stray Crup someone had found and dropped off at her sanctuary over a month back. After taking her to an animal Healer's appointment, they'd discovered the Crup was pregnant. She gave birth to a litter of six, but one of them was a runt. The mother refused to care for and feed the runt, so Anna had to bottle-feed the tiny puppy every few hours. Everyday the tiny puppy got stronger, but they still weren't positive she'd make it.

Anna smiled at her daughter. "Alright. Clover it is." she agreed, looking back down at the puppy.

"So, can I feed her?" Raven urged, moving into the kitchen and standing by her mum and looking down at the puppy. "Pretty please? I've got my trunk packed and I already brushed my teeth and everything. I'll just need to put on my pajamas and go to bed. Pretty please, Mum?"

Anna sighed in defeat and rolled her eyes. "Oh, alright." Carefully passing the tiny puppy into her daughter's arms, Anna made sure Raven had a good hold on the puppy and bottle. "I'll go check on the other animals. When she's finished eating, put her back in her box with her blanket. Make sure the blanket's wrapped around her to keep her warm, okay?"

"She could sleep in my room." Raven offered hopefully.

"Nice try." Anna grinned. "You wouldn't get any sleep." With that, Anna went out the backdoor of their house. She crossed the yard and headed first for the shed behind the house. It used to be a tool shed, but Anna and Fred had fixed it up to be an owl house of sorts. There were a couple holes in one wall big enough for a large owl to come and go freely.

Opening the shed door, Anna peaked inside. She was greeted by a few quiets hoots.

"Hey, guys." she whispered. "Everyone okay in here?" Stepping inside, Anna walked through the small shed. There were nest boxes all over the walls, offering warm, safe places to sleep for dozens of owls of every kind: Screech, Scops, Great Grey, Barn, Snowy, and Eagle owls. Anna's own faithful Barn owl, Ariel, had died a few years after the war.

Anna petted a nearby Tawny owl who was sitting on half a dozen eggs.

After getting married, Anna had continued working in the Investigation Department until after she gave birth to the twins. While on maternity leave, she'd decided she would prefer to be around for her children, if not quite being a stay-at-home mum. So, she'd started an animal sanctuary, which she named _Buckbeak's Haven_ , taking in injured or abandoned animals, adopting them to good homes, and breeding them occasionally.

"Good girl." Anna cooed, petting the owl for a few more moments before moving farther into the shed, petting the several owls currently in their nests. Some of the owls and other animals had taken a while to trust Anna, given a few had come from bad homes or abusive owners.

Deciding they were all fine, Anna left the shed and continued across the yard to the large barn.

Shoving the large, heavy door open, Anna stepped out of the cool air and into the warm barn. Shutting the door behind her, Anna turned on a nearby light and slowly moved down the barn to check on everyone.

On her left was a horse stall that'd been turned into more of a dog pen. The Crup she'd rescued was laying on a soft blanket and hay with her litter of puppies in a furry pile next to her. There was a small, closed flap behind the dog that lead out to a fenced area outside.

There were a few more stalls that were the same, one empty, but the others held a couple Labrador puppies and an old, fluffy mutt.

There were some cats up in the hayloft above the stalls, including a litter of four kittens who'd been abandoned on Anna's front step.

It was pretty common for Anna to give a pet to her nieces and nephews before they went to Hogwarts, usually a cat or an owl. Just the month before, Roxanne had picked a Brown owl to take with her to Hogwarts the coming September 1st. She'd told Anna the night before she decided on the name Iris for her owl.

Moving across the barn, Anna smiled at the larger animals in her care. The largest pen had a very small herd of four hippogriffs that had their own, large, fenced pen just outside the bard. She had a couple potential buyers for her male, Lightning, but she needed to make sure his leg was healed from a wolf attack first. A wolf had gotten in and tried to attack the baby of the hippogriff herd, a little female a few months old, but Lightning fought it off.

A couple of the hippogriffs came forward to greet Anna when she neared their pen, though the mother and baby stayed in the corner since the baby was already asleep in the hay. Anna petted them before moving down the pen toward the next one. This one had an orphaned Unicorn. It was still under a year old, so Anna wasn't selling it yet, though she'd gotten quite a few expensive offers. She would probably sell it to Hogwarts, where she knew it would be taken care of with others of its kind.

Seeing that all her animals were fine and getting ready for bed, Anna left the barn after turning off the lights, closing the door behind her. She crossed her chilly yard and entered the house through the backdoor.

"Everything okay out there?" Fred asked, appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"Everyone's fine." Anna answered, walking the other way and peaking into the shoebox to ensure her daughter did as she asked. She did, since little Clover was sleeping wrapped in her blanket.

"What time do you want me to wake you up to feed her?" Fred asked, walking up behind Anna and wrapping his arms around her.

"Hmm. Two o'clock?"

Fred sighed heavily and rested his chin on her shoulder. "You are insane." he stated, emphasizing each word. "But I love you anyway."

Anna laughed. "Gee. Thanks." Turning, Anna peaked over her shoulder at him. "You know, I've been thinking."

"Uh oh." Fred joked.

Anna jabbed her elbow back into Fred's stomach. Seventeen years hadn't changed Fred's playfulness. "Shut up. Anyway, I was thinking…Raven's already gotten really attached to Clover." she explained, looking down at the sleeping puppy. "And even though I'm hesitant to get my hopes up, Clover's been getting better everyday. She's really like any other puppy at her age apart from being small. So,…what if, when she's weaned off milk, we let Raven keep her?"

Fred tilted his head thoughtfully, looking down at the puppy in the box. "Well,…you typically start weaning puppies when they're about a month old, right? So, theoretically, if all goes well, we'd have her on dog food in no more than two months."

"That sounds about right." Anna agreed with a nod.

"You realize dogs are one of the pets they don't normally allow at Hogwarts." Fred pointed out. "So, you'd be taking care of her most of the time. Raven would only be able to take care of her during breaks and summer."

"It's only one more dog." Anna pointed out with a shrug. "Considering how many animals I take care of on a daily basis, that's not a big deal."

Fred nodded. "Alright. Fair enough. So, if all goes well, Christmas present?"

Anna smiled, looking back down at the little puppy. "Christmas present." she agreed.

"Good. Now that's been decided, let's get some sleep. You need to wake up again in a few hours, and we need to get up in the morning to get rid of our sprogs."

Fred laughed and hurried up the stairs when Anna smacked his shoulder and chased him up the stairs.

XXX

Anna tossed the dead ferrets into the air, watching the hippogriffs snatch them from the air with their sharp beaks. When her bag was empty, that signaled every animal had been fed. Leaving the barn, she hurried back to the house. She washed her hands in the kitchen sink, where Raven was cradling and feeding Clover atop the kitchen counter.

"We need to get going, Rae. Where are your brothers?" Anna asked, drying her hands quickly.

"Dad's making sure they're done packing." Raven answered.

"Alright, well, put her back in her box. We need to get going." Anna told her, hurrying from the kitchen and pausing at the bottom of the stairs. "Are you guys getting ready to go?" she called up the stairs.

"We're almost there!" Fred called down. Anna rolled her eyes.

Ten minutes later, everyone was ready. Anna and Fred Apparated with their children and their luggage, then headed into King's Cross Station to grab trolleys for all their things.

"Alright, Gid, Fabe, go through." Fred told them when they neared the wall between platforms 9 and 10.

Gideon pushed his trolley into a run right at the wall, disappearing from sight. Fabian followed right behind him.

Raven braced herself against her trolley and followed her brothers. Fred took Anna's hand in his and they followed their kids at a jog, going through the brick wall and appearing on platform 9 ¾.

There was already an enormous crowd on the platform, kids and parents mingling and talking, not quite ready to board the huge, red train.

Gideon, Fabian, and Raven were waiting a few feet away, standing on their tiptoes to try and see over the crowd.

"Do you see any of them?" Raven asked her much-taller brothers.

"I don't think-wait." Gideon paused, staring over a nearby cluster of students. "I see them!" With that, he began pushing his trolley through the crowd. His brother and sister followed, and Anna and Fred hurried after them.

Sure enough, closer to the train was Sirius, Wren, Aslan, and Teddy. Teddy was wearing his Hufflepuff school robes, his Head Boy badge on his chest.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Raven called, abandoning her trolley and racing past her brothers. She nearly tackled Sirius in a hug before giving another hug to Wren.

Wren and Sirius hadn't changed as much as their children in the last 17 years. Their hair was starting to turn a bit gray, being in their mid-fifties, and they had deeper laugh lines and crows feet. Sirius was still working as an Auror, and Wren had recently been promoted to the position of the Head of Department of Security.

Gideon and Fabian greeted their grandparents before Aslan pulled the twins and Teddy off to one side, probably to encourage all kinds of mayhem when they got to school.

"Hi Mum, Dad." Anna greeted her parents with tight hugs.

"Hi, darling. How've you been? How was the party at the Burrow last night?" Wren asked with a warm smile.

"It was fun. You both should've come." Anna told them.

"Have Harry and Ginny arrived yet?" Fred asked.

"They're right over there." Sirius pointed. Anna looked to her right and saw Harry and his family approaching them. James ran ahead of his family and went right to Sirius, talking excitedly with him about something. Albus and Lily stayed with their parents, looking like miniature copies of Harry and Ginny. Albus got black hair and green eyes from his dad, and Lily got red hair and brown eyes from her mum, as well as a similar personality. At ages 9 and 7, Albus and Lily weren't old enough to join their brother, who was going into his first year at Hogwarts.

Anna greeted Harry and Ginny with hugs, and gave Lily a kiss on the top of her head.

"Hey, I think I see Mum and Dad." Fred noted, looking over the crowd.

"Oh, who's with them?" Anna asked.

"All I can see is several heads of red hair." Fred answered.

So, the group pushed through the crowd to join the rest of their family. Sure enough, most of the Weasley clan was present, saying goodbye to the kids who were getting on the train. Anna greeted Hermione, Bill, and George with hugs, as well as passing out hugs to her nieces and nephews who'd be getting on the train. 8 year old Louis was holding his mum Fleur's hand, pouting as he watched his sisters Victoire and Dominique get ready to go the school.

Little six year old Hugo was standing with Hermione, watching sadly as his cousins prepared to leave while his older sister Rose was saying goodbye to her older cousins. Anna approached him and crouched in front of him.

"Hi, Hugo. I have a present for you, if you want it." Anna told him. Hugo's eyes, which were almost covered by his bushy, brown hair, lit up.

"Yes, please." he said quietly.

Anna reached into her robe pocket and pulled out a Chocolate Frog card. Hugo had recently started collecting them. "Do you know who this is?" she asked, holding the card out to him.

Hugo took it in both hand and his face lit up. "It's my Dad!" he exclaimed with a big smile. Ron, as well as Hermione and Harry, had got the honor of being on Chocolate Frog cards, which was one of the reasons Hugo had started collecting them. He already had Harry's and Hermione's.

"It is your dad. I figured you could add that to your collection." Anna told him.

"Thank you, Auntie Anna!" Hugo cried, throwing his little arms around Anna's neck. Anna hugged him back before standing up. Hermione shook her head fondly at her son before mouthing a thank you to Anna.

Hermione had several accomplishments since the war ended. She'd gone back to Hogwarts to finish her seventh year. Then, she worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where she got rights for house-elves. Then, she became Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, where she worked closely with Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt. She'd also confided to Anna and a few close friends and relatives that she was considering running for Minister of Magic in the next election.

"Mum!" Anna stood up as Raven came hurrying toward her, weaving in and out of her cousins, aunts, and uncles.

"What is it?" Anna asked when her daughter reached her.

"Do you promise you'll owl me every week and tell me how Clover's doing? Please?" she begged.

Anna sighed, rolling her eyes in amusement. "I promise."

Raven threw her arms around her mum in a tight hug. "Thank you, Mum!"

The train gave a warning whistle, signaling it would be leaving the station soon.

"Alright, enough dawdling! On the train, the lot of you!" Ginny called. "Not you." she added, grabbing Lily's shoulder when she tried to sneak onto the train with her oldest brother and cousins.

Fred moved to stand by Anna, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. George stood next to his twin with Angelina at his side, and they all watched as the nine school-aged kids hurriedly climbed onto the train. Within a couple minutes, Anna spotted some of them waving from the windows of multiple compartments, sitting with their friends, siblings, or cousins.

Gideon and Fabian were sitting in one compartment with a couple Gryffindors who were on the Quidditch team with them, and it appeared James had joined them. Anna also spotted Teddy apparently showing Roxanne somewhere to sit.

Smiling, Anna waved when she saw Raven leaning out an open window and waving wildly at her family. She only ducked back inside when the train slowly started to pull out of the station.

"So,…we've got a house to ourselves for almost three months." Fred noted quietly, mainly for Anna only to hear. "What are we going to do with ourselves?" he asked playfully, leaning over and kissing Anna's cheek.

Anna hummed, pretending to think that over. "Get a head start on writing apology letters for McGonagall for all the trouble your sons are going to get up to?"

Angelina and Ginny, who were standing on either side of her with their husbands, overheard and laughed.

Fred also chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "What can I say? The apples don't fall far from the tree."

"I think it'd be more fitting to say…the thorns in McGonagall's side don't fall far from the cactus." Anna countered.

More of her brother- and sister-in-laws burst out laughing, while Fred looked down at her, clearly fighting his own laughter.

"Gee, thanks."

"You're welcome." Anna smiled sweetly.

While it didn't always feel like it in their rowdy household, a time of peace had fallen over the wizarding world. The war had been over for years, and none of their children knew what the fear of war felt like. To them, for the most part, it was just scary stories or tales of heroism from a time before they were born.

McGonagall had told Anna years ago that courage, or bravery, was being scared and acting anyway; facing your fear head-on.

Annabelle had to face many of her deepest fears head-on to earn her title as a Gryffindor, at least in her mind. But she was grateful that her children would never have to face the fears and challenges that she did to do the same.

 **THE END**

 **XXX**

 **Wow. I've been writing this trilogy for almost 2 years. I can't believe after posting this chapter, they will all be labeled complete.**

 **Thank you to everyone who read, enjoyed, and reviewed to** _ **House of Courage, Family of Courage,**_ **and** _ **War of Courage**_ **. All the wonderful, kind, and funny reviews always made my day and kept me writing when negative comments got me down. I'm glad I made so many people happy with my writing, and in return so many of you left amazing reviews that made me smile.**

 **So thank you for following myself and Annabelle on this rollercoaster of a story. Please leave a review to let me know what you think of this epilogue.**

 **And as an extra treat, I will be adding a sort of Fun Facts page after the epilogue that tells some fun little secrets and details behind this trilogy.**

 **Thank you again for everything!**

 _ **Mischief Managed.**_


	34. Courage Fun Facts

_**Fun Facts:**_

 **1\. I got Annabelle's name from a kids movie I grew up watching called** _ **Annabelle's Wish**_ **. It's about a calf, or baby cow, who wants to be one of Santa's reindeer so she can fly. I mostly picked it because I like the name. Don't judge me.**

 **2\. Ariel's name: I named Anna's owl Ariel for two reasons: 1. it means 'lion of god', in reference to Gryffindor. And 2. The Disney princess Ariel has red hair, so that hints at Anna becoming a Weasley.**

 **3\. Before I started writing this story down, back when it was just in my head, I considered Anna being in a relationship with Charlie. However, I changed my mind since there's a slight age gap, and I think Charlie's more of an older brother figure while she'd have a better connection with the twins. But Charlie is still clearly her favorite Weasley.**

 **4\. I made Anna a Metamorphmagus as a connection to Tonks being one and Sirius being an Animagus. Plus, Metamorphmagi must be slightly genetic, since Teddy is one. I considered making one of Anna and Fred's kids a Metamorphmagus, but it's supposed to be rare so I decided against it.**

 **5\. The black layer in Anna's hair in the beginning represented that Anna was always a little bit scared, as the color black can signify fear, and it gradually went away as she became more confident.**

 **6\. I didn't want to kill Sirius after everything, and I didn't think Anna could take it after her childhood and everything she went through to get her father back. But I knew I had to kill someone in place of him, because obviously people who Anna is close to are going to die in a war. So, I figured the best replacement was Anna's grandparents, seeing as her grandpa, Winthrop, was a Muggle, and her grandma married him. I think that would make both of them targets to Death Eaters.**

 **This is also why I decided to kill Katie, Lee, and Percy since Fred lived.**

 **7\. Anna's patronus, a weasel, is obviously a reference to her connection to the Weasleys. But I've also looked into what that patronus means, and I think it fits Anna's personality. Basically, what I read said that people with a weasel patronus are friendly, polite, honest, perceptive, and make good detectives. They are also hardworking, ready to help, and modest. I think this all fits Anna better than any of the other patronuses I read about. While I'm at it, Fred and George's patronuses are a fox and polecat respectively. The site where I found descriptions of all the patronuses said that someone with a fox is adaptable, independent, and a clown in social situations. I think that fits Fred the best, though it could fit either of the twins. The polecat, George's patronus, is said to be playful/humorous in nature, family/friend oriented, opinionated, inquisitive, and adventurous. Again, this could fit either twin, but I think the polecat fits George a bit better than Fred.**

 **8\. I was originally going to make Remus Anna's godfather, but then I realized that wouldn't really make sense. Sirius was much closer to James, so it would make more sense for him to make James Anna's godfather, especially since Anna was born before Harry. So Remus was made Aslan's godfather instead.**

 **9\. Anna's wand: 12 2/3 inch English Oak with a unicorn hair core. Wands with English Oak wood 'demand partners with strength, courage, and fidelity', and people who have wands made of this wood have a strong affinity with nature and animals. I mainly chose the Unicorn hair core because they're unlikely to be changed to the Dark Arts. For the length of the wand, despite popular opinion, I read that the wand length mostly depends on the person's personality, not physical height. Long wands go to those with big personalities, and vice versa. Wands tend to range between 9 and 14 inches, though some are shorter or longer. I did a lot of research on the meaning of certain numbers when I chose the length I did, but I honestly can't remember everything that I found, and I don't want to bore you with all the different reasons.**

 **10\. I gave Audrey the last name Reed because it means "red", and was originally a nickname given to someone with red hair. This hints at her marrying Percy Weasley, as I hadn't decided until later on that I was going to kill off Percy.**

 **11\. The spell Anna uses to find out she's pregnant was Gravidam. This is the latin word for pregnant. I chose the color white for a negative because white can mean empty. I chose green for a positive because green can mean life/fertility.**

 **12\. When I first started thinking this story up, and I had Anna being afraid of people using the Imperius Curse on her to use her metamorphic abilities for evil, I had already planned on someone using that to make her try to kill someone she loves. Because this was one of her greatest fears; someone using her powers for evil. At one point I'd considered her nearly killing Charlie instead of Fred.**

 **13\. The kids' names: Anna and Fred's kids: Gideon Ignatius, Fabian Sirius, Raven Belle. Gideon and Fabian obviously got their first names from Molly's brothers. Their middle names: Fabian's is obviously after his grandfather, Sirius. Gideon is after Percy, whose middle name was Ignatius. Raven's first name is in reference to her mother being a Black, while her middle name is for a few things. It's in honor of Katie Bell, 'Belle' means beauty, and it's one of Annabelle's nicknames because it's the second half of her first name. I kept George and Angelina's daughter Roxanne, like in the original books, but I named their son Jordan, in honor of Lee. I changed James's middle name from Sirius to Arthur so Anna could use her dad's name for her own kids, and so James could be named in honor of both his grandfathers. Charlie's family: his son's name Drake means 'dragon'. He** _ **certainly**_ **wouldn't name his son Draco, which also means 'dragon'. That would be awkward. His daughter Opal is named after the Antipodean Opaleye, considered one of the most beautiful and unique dragons. I feel like Charlie would name his kids dragon-related names. I had way too much fun picking Charlie's kids' names.**

 **14: Near the end, Anna mentioned giving pets to her nieces and nephews. She mentioned recently giving Roxanne a Brown owl, which Roxanne named Iris. Iris is the name of the Greek Goddess of the rainbow, who also served as a messenger to the gods. Considering the main role of owls in the wizarding world is to deliver mail, I thought it was appropriate. I put way too much effort into picking the names of characters you hear about once.**


End file.
